Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Freedom Fries

2006-03-15T01:37:57Z

200.69.24.9:

[[Freedom fries]] are successful symbols of U.S. unity and resolve in the face of highly adversarial, antagonistic French policies and provocations. These symbols of
American resistance to hostile, anti-American French policies were first popularized by courageous U.S. Congressman Robert W. Ney and Walter B. Jones in 2003.

Freedom Fries were a symbolic change that was highly effective and took hold in a meaningful way. The direct effect was to galvanize U.S. public opinion of and highten awareness to hostile French behavior and anti-American provocations. The adversarial French nation and its people continue to provoke America and provide the U.S. government and military leaders with a
cause of action justifying any and all options in dealing with the French.

Freedom Fries marked a turning point in the obsolete trans-Atlantic Alliance and signaled
a strategic re-alignment of pro-Western nations that no longer included France.

==The Congressional renaming==
[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px|Menu from a House cafeteria featuring Freedom Fries]]
On [[March 11]], [[2003]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] [[Bob Ney|Robert W. Ney]] (R - Ohio) and [[Walter B. Jones]], Jr. (R - North Carolina) declared that all references to French fries and [[French toast]] on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to re-name French fries as "freedom fries". This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Congressman Ney's position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations in the house. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/]

According to a statement released by Ney, this move was a symbolic effort to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies" (see [[Iraq disarmament crisis]]). The statement further read: "This action today is a small, but symbolic, effort to show the strong displeasure many on [[Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.|Capitol Hill]] have with our so-called ally, France."

This sentiment was communicated through the Internet, chain e-mails and by frequent references on 24-hour news coverage from stations like [[CNN]] and [[Fox News]].

The French [[embassy]] made no comment, except to note that French fries come from [[Belgian cuisine|Belgium]]. "We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to [[potato|potatoes]]," said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman.

Congressmen Ney and Jones, however, were not the first to re-name French fries as freedom fries. A number of private restaurants across the country started the renaming movement. Neal Rowland, owner of the privately owned fast-food restaurant Cubbie's in [[Beaufort, North Carolina]], decided to sell his fried [[potato]] strips under the name "freedom fries." Rowland claimed that his intent was not to slight the French people, but to be patriotic and support President [[George W. Bush]]. Many of Rowland's customers were among the local military troops.

Despite the symbolic change, it did not take hold in any meaningful way. Many Americans refer to French fries simply as "fries", so the leading adjective is largely ignored anyway. The only real effect the incident seems to have had was to provide comedians, satirists, and others with fodder for jokes for a few months.

[[French kissing]], [[poodle|French poodle]]s, [[French dip sandwich]]es, [[French tickler]]s, [[Horn (instrument)|French horn]]s, [[Augmented sixth chord|French augmented sixth chords]], and American actor [[French Stewart]] were not renamed freedom kissing, freedom poodles, freedom dip sandwiches, freedom ticklers, freedom horns, or Freedom Stewart, though some political satirists referred to them as if they had been. However, [[Reckitt Benckiser]], makers of [[French's mustard]], was sufficiently concerned to clarify that their brand name was derived from a family name and to issue a press release affirming its patriotism. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/03/27/french030327],[http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-frenchs-mustard.htm]

:''Mangeons les ''French fries,'' mais surtout pratiquons avec fierté le ''French kiss!
: (Let's eat French fries, but above all let's French kiss with pride!)
::-[[Protests against the 2003 Iraq war|Anti-war protest]] organizer, [[Montreal]] ([[15 March]] [[2003]])

In [[2005]], Jones, having come to the belief that the United States went to war "with no justification", said of the "freedom fries" episode, "I wish it had never happened." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1491567,00.html]

==Historical parallels==
Politically-motivated euphemism like this is reminiscent of [[anti-German sentiment]] during the [[World War I|First World War]], when [[sauerkraut]] was renamed ''[[liberty cabbage]]'', and [[hamburger]]s, ''liberty steaks''. (Even the [[German measles]] got a new name: ''liberty measles''.) This similarity is intentional: Rowland described a conversation about these renamed foods during World War I as the inspiration for "freedom fries."

Previous attempts to rename food during wartime have been largely unsuccessful, with one notable exception being the change of ''frankfurter'' to ''[[hot dog]]'' during [[World War II]]; although frankfurter is still recognized, it is no longer commonly used; the simplified form ''frank'' is still popular.

===In other countries===
Other examples were ''filete imperial'' ("imperial beef"), a euphemism for ''filete ruso'' ("Russian beef") and "ensaladilla nacional" ("national salad") instead of "ensaladilla rusa" ("Russian salad"), both appearing in Spain after the triumph of the [[Fascist]] General [[Francisco Franco]]. "Ellinikos kafes" ("Greek coffee") replacing "Turkikos kafes" ("[[Turkish coffee]]") on Greek menus after the Turkish-Greek collisions of the [[1920s]] and in [[Turkey]] ''Russian salad'' became ''American salad'' because of the anti-Communist sentiment in the country.

[[New Zealand]]: In 1998 during which time the French government were testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific, French loaves were reputedly renamed Kiwi loaves. This, however, does not appear to have been as extensively reported or [[media manipulation|publicized]] as anti-French sentiment in the United States, and is probably largely an urban myth.

[[New Zealand]]: The [[kiwifruit]] gets its name from a marketing strategy, naming it after the [[kiwi]], the national bird of New Zealand, where the fruit was first commercially popularised in [[1959]] by the New Zealand fruit-and-vegetable export company Turners and Growers; previously it was known as the ''Chinese gooseberry'', but due to the [[Cold War]], the Chinese label seemed unfit for popularization of the fruit in Western countries. Growers gradually adopted the name and in [[1974]] the kiwifruit became the official trade name.

[[Russia]]: The city of [[St. Petersburg]] was renamed Petrograd during [[World War I]] because it sounded too German.

[[United Kingdom]]: During [[World War I]], the [[German Shepherd]] was renamed the Alsatian due to strong anti-German sentiment. Similar renaming happened in [[Czechoslovakia]] after [[World War II]].

[[Canada]]: During World War I, the Ontario city of [[Berlin to Kitchener name change|Berlin was renamed]] [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]].

[[Austrian Empire|Austria]]: According to legend, during the [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] invasion of Austria during 17th century, a reverse example of this sort of propaganda occurred: the [[croissant]], a crescent-shaped pastry, was created as a way to satirize the Turks, whose emblem was the crescent.

[[Iran]]: [[Danish pastry|Danish pastries]] were renamed to "[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]" in February of 2006 as a result of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_danish_pastries]

[[Germany]]: in 1915, after [[Italy]] entered WW1,Restraunts in [[Berlin]] stopped serving [[Salad|Italian Salad]]

==See also==
*[[Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]
*[[W Ketchup]]
*[[Newspeak]]
*[[Old Europe]]
*[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]

==External links==
*[http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2003/022503.asp Federal France-Bashing Standards & Guidelines] - From whitehouse.org parody web site (not whitehouse.gov).
*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/freedom.fries/index.html House restaurants change name of 'french fries' and 'french toast'] - CNN Report

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]]
[[Category:Potatoes]]
[[Category:Political neologisms]]

Freedom Fries

2006-03-15T01:04:54Z

200.69.24.9:

Freedom fries are successful symbols of U.S. unity and resolve in the face of highly adversarial, antagonistic French policies and provocations. These symbols of American resistance to hostile, anti-American French policies were first popularized by courageous U.S. Congressman Robert W. Ney and Walter B. Jones in 2003.

Freedom Fries were a symbolic change that was highly effective and took hold in a meaningful way. The direct effect was to galvanize U.S. public opinion of and highten awareness to hostile French behavior and anti-American provocations. The adversarial French nation and its people continue to provoke America and provide the U.S. government and military leaders with a cause of action justifying any and all options in dealing with the French.

Freedom Fries marked a turning point in the obsolete trans-Atlantic Alliance and signaled a strategic re-alignment of pro-Western nations that no longer included France.

==The Congressional renaming==
[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px|Menu from a House cafeteria featuring Freedom Fries]]
On [[March 11]], [[2003]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] [[Bob Ney|Robert W. Ney]] (R - Ohio) and [[Walter B. Jones]], Jr. (R - North Carolina) declared that all references to French fries and [[French toast]] on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to re-name French fries as "freedom fries". This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Congressman Ney's position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations in the house. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/]

According to a statement released by Ney, this move was a symbolic effort to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies" (see [[Iraq disarmament crisis]]). The statement further read: "This action today is a small, but symbolic, effort to show the strong displeasure many on [[Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.|Capitol Hill]] have with our so-called ally, France."

This feeling was spread through the Internet, chain e-mails and constant 24-hour news coverage from stations like [[CNN]] and [[Fox News]].

The French [[embassy]] made no comment, except to note that French fries come from [[Belgian cuisine|Belgium]]. "We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to [[potato|potatoes]]," said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman.

Congressmen Ney and Jones, however, were not the first to re-name French fries as freedom fries. A number of private restaurants across the country started the renaming movement. Neal Rowland, owner of the privately owned fast-food restaurant Cubbie's in [[Beaufort, North Carolina]], decided to sell his fried [[potato]] strips under the name "freedom fries." Rowland claimed that his intent was not to slight the French people, but to be patriotic and support President [[George W. Bush]]. Many of Rowland's customers were among the local military troops.

Despite the symbolic change, it did not take hold in any meaningful way. Many Americans refer to French fries simply as "fries", so the leading adjective is largely ignored anyway. The only real effect the incident seems to have had was to provide comedians, satirists, and others with fodder for jokes for a few months.

[[French kissing]], [[poodle|French poodle]]s, [[French dip sandwich]]es, [[French tickler]]s, [[Horn (instrument)|French horn]]s, [[Augmented sixth chord|French augmented sixth chords]], and American actor [[French Stewart]] were not renamed freedom kissing, freedom poodles, freedom dip sandwiches, freedom ticklers, freedom horns, or Freedom Stewart, though some political satirists referred to them as if they had been. However, [[Reckitt Benckiser]], makers of [[French's mustard]], was sufficiently concerned to clarify that their brand name was derived from a family name and to issue a press release affirming its patriotism. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/03/27/french030327],[http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-frenchs-mustard.htm]

:''Mangeons les ''French fries,'' mais surtout pratiquons avec fierté le ''French kiss!
: (Let's eat French fries, but above all let's French kiss with pride!)
::-[[Protests against the 2003 Iraq war|Anti-war protest]] organizer, [[Montreal]] ([[15 March]] [[2003]])

In [[2005]], Jones, having come to the belief that the United States went to war "with no justification", said of the "freedom fries" episode, "I wish it had never happened." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1491567,00.html]

==Historical parallels==
Politically-motivated euphemism like this is reminiscent of [[anti-German sentiment]] during the [[World War I|First World War]], when [[sauerkraut]] was renamed ''[[liberty cabbage]]'', and [[hamburger]]s, ''liberty steaks''. (Even the [[German measles]] got a new name: ''liberty measles''.) This similarity is intentional: Rowland described a conversation about these renamed foods during World War I as the inspiration for "freedom fries."

Previous attempts to rename food during wartime have been largely unsuccessful, with one notable exception being the change of ''frankfurter'' to ''[[hot dog]]'' during [[World War II]]; although frankfurter is still recognized, it is no longer commonly used; the simplified form ''frank'' is still popular.

===In other countries===
Other examples were ''filete imperial'' ("imperial beef"), a euphemism for ''filete ruso'' ("Russian beef") and "ensaladilla nacional" ("national salad") instead of "ensaladilla rusa" ("Russian salad"), both appearing in Spain after the triumph of the [[Fascist]] General [[Francisco Franco]]. "Ellinikos kafes" ("Greek coffee") replacing "Turkikos kafes" ("[[Turkish coffee]]") on Greek menus after the Turkish-Greek collisions of the [[1920s]] and in [[Turkey]] ''Russian salad'' became ''American salad'' because of the anti-Communist sentiment in the country.

[[New Zealand]]: In 1998 during which time the French government were testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific, French loaves were reputedly renamed Kiwi loaves. This, however, does not appear to have been as extensively reported or [[media manipulation|publicized]] as anti-French sentiment in the United States, and is probably largely an urban myth.

[[New Zealand]]: The [[kiwifruit]] gets its name from a marketing strategy, naming it after the [[kiwi]], the national bird of New Zealand, where the fruit was first commercially popularised in [[1959]] by the New Zealand fruit-and-vegetable export company Turners and Growers; previously it was known as the ''Chinese gooseberry'', but due to the [[Cold War]], the Chinese label seemed unfit for popularization of the fruit in Western countries. Growers gradually adopted the name and in [[1974]] the kiwifruit became the official trade name.

[[Russia]]: The city of [[St. Petersburg]] was renamed Petrograd during [[World War I]] because it sounded too German.

[[United Kingdom]]: During [[World War I]], the [[German Shepherd]] was renamed the Alsatian due to strong anti-German sentiment. Similar renaming happened in [[Czechoslovakia]] after [[World War II]].

[[Canada]]: During World War I, the Ontario city of [[Berlin to Kitchener name change|Berlin was renamed]] [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]].

[[Austrian Empire|Austria]]: According to legend, during the [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] invasion of Austria during 17th century, a reverse example of this sort of propaganda occurred: the [[croissant]], a crescent-shaped pastry, was created as a way to satirize the Turks, whose emblem was the crescent.

[[Iran]]: [[Danish pastry|Danish pastries]] were renamed to "[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]" in February of 2006 as a result of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_danish_pastries]

[[Germany]]: in 1915, after [[Italy]] entered WW1,Restraunts in [[Berlin]] stopped serving [[Salad|Italian Salad]]

==See also==
*[[Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]
*[[W Ketchup]]
*[[Newspeak]]
*[[Old Europe]]
*[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]

==External links==
*[http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2003/022503.asp Federal France-Bashing Standards & Guidelines] - From whitehouse.org parody web site (not whitehouse.gov).
*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/freedom.fries/index.html House restaurants change name of 'french fries' and 'french toast'] - CNN Report

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]]
[[Category:Potatoes]]
[[Category:Political neologisms]]

Freedom Fries

2006-03-15T00:46:52Z

200.69.24.9:

Freedom Fries

2006-03-15T00:13:17Z

200.69.24.9:

Freedom Fries

2006-03-14T22:46:53Z

200.69.24.9:

[[Freedom fries]] are patriotic symbols of U.S. unity and resolve in the face of highly adversarial, antagonistic French policies and provocations. These symbols of
American resistance to hostile, anti-American French policies were first popularized by courageous U.S. Congressman Robert W. Ney and Walter B. Jones in 2003.

Freedom Fries were a symbolic change that was highly effective and took hold in a meaningful way. The direct effect was to galvanize U.S. public opinion of and highten awareness to hostile French behavior and anti-American provocations. The adversarial French nation and its people continue to provoke America and provide the U.S. government and military leaders with a
cause of action justifying any and all options in dealing with the French.

Freedom Fries marked a turning point in the obsolete trans-Atlantic Alliance and signaled
a strategic re-alignment of pro-Western nations that no longer included France.

==The Congressional renaming==
[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px|Menu from a House cafeteria featuring Freedom Fries]]
On [[March 11]], [[2003]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] [[Bob Ney|Robert W. Ney]] (R - Ohio) and [[Walter B. Jones]], Jr. (R - North Carolina) declared that all references to "'''French fries'''" and "[[French toast]]" on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to re-name French fries as ''"freedom fries"''. This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Congressman Ney's position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations in the house. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/]

According to a statement released by Ney, this move was a symbolic effort to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies" (see [[Iraq disarmament crisis]]). The statement further read: "This action today is a small, but symbolic, effort to show the strong displeasure many on [[Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.|Capitol Hill]] have with our so-called ally, France."

This feeling was spread through the Internet, chain e-mails and constant 24-hour news coverage from stations like [[CNN]] and [[Fox News]].

Congressmen Ney and Jones, however, were not the first to re-name French fries as freedom fries. A number of private restaurants across the country started the renaming movement. Neal Rowland, owner of the privately owned fast-food restaurant Cubbie's in [[Beaufort, North Carolina]], decided to sell his fried [[potato]] strips under the name "freedom fries." Rowland claimed that his intent was not to slight the French people, but to be patriotic and support President [[George W. Bush]]. Many of Rowland's customers were among the local military troops.

'Mangeons les ''French fries,'' mais surtout pratiquons avec fierté le ''French kiss!
: (Let's eat French fries, but above all let's French kiss with pride!)
::-[[Protests against the 2003 Iraq war|Anti-war protest]] organizer, [[Montreal]] ([[15 March]] [[2003]])

==Historical parallels==
Politically-motivated euphemism like this is reminiscent of [[anti-German sentiment]] during the [[World War I|First World War]], when [[sauerkraut]] was renamed ''[[liberty cabbage]]'', and [[hamburger]]s, ''liberty steaks''. (Even the [[German measles]] got a new name: ''liberty measles''.) This similarity is intentional: Rowland described a conversation about these renamed foods during World War I as the inspiration for "freedom fries."

Previous attempts to rename food during wartime have been largely unsuccessful, with one notable exception being the change of ''frankfurter'' to ''[[hot dog]]'' during [[World War II]]; although frankfurter is still recognized, it is no longer commonly used; the simplified form ''frank'' is still popular.

===In other countries===
Other examples were ''filete imperial'' ("imperial beef"), a euphemism for ''filete ruso'' ("Russian beef") and "ensaladilla nacional" ("national salad") instead of "ensaladilla rusa" ("Russian salad"), both appearing in Spain after the triumph of the [[Fascist]] General [[Francisco Franco]]. "Ellinikos kafes" ("Greek coffee") replacing "Turkikos kafes" ("[[Turkish coffee]]") on Greek menus after the Turkish-Greek collisions of the [[1920s]] and in [[Turkey]] ''Russian salad'' became ''American salad'' because of the anti-Communist sentiment in the country.

[[New Zealand]]: In 1998 during which time the French government were testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific, French loaves were reputedly renamed Kiwi loaves. This, however, does not appear to have been as extensively reported or [[media manipulation|publicized]] as anti-French sentiment in the United States, and is probably largely an urban myth.

[[New Zealand]]: The [[kiwifruit]] gets its name from a marketing strategy, naming it after the [[kiwi]], the national bird of New Zealand, where the fruit was first commercially popularised in [[1959]] by the New Zealand fruit-and-vegetable export company Turners and Growers; previously it was known as the ''Chinese gooseberry'', but due to the [[Cold War]], the Chinese label seemed unfit for popularization of the fruit in Western countries. Growers gradually adopted the name and in [[1974]] the kiwifruit became the official trade name.

[[Russia]]: The city of [[St. Petersburg]] was renamed Petrograd during [[World War I]] because it sounded too German.

[[United Kingdom]]: During [[World War I]], the [[German Shepherd]] was renamed the Alsatian due to strong anti-German sentiment. Similar renaming happened in [[Czechoslovakia]] after [[World War II]].

[[Canada]]: During World War I, the Ontario city of [[Berlin to Kitchener name change|Berlin was renamed]] [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]].

[[Austrian Empire|Austria]]: According to legend, during the [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] invasion of Austria during 17th century, a reverse example of this sort of propaganda occurred: the [[croissant]], a crescent-shaped pastry, was created as a way to satirize the Turks, whose emblem was the crescent.

[[Iran]]: [[Danish pastry|Danish pastries]] were renamed to "[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]" in February of 2006 as a result of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_danish_pastries]

[[Germany]]: in 1915, after [[Italy]] entered WW1,Restraunts in [[Berlin]] stopped serving [[Salad|Italian Salad]]

==See also==
*[[Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]
*[[W Ketchup]]
*[[Newspeak]]
*[[Old Europe]]
*[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]

==External links==
*[http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2003/022503.asp Federal France-Bashing Standards & Guidelines] - From whitehouse.org parody web site (not whitehouse.gov).
*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/freedom.fries/index.html House restaurants change name of 'french fries' and 'french toast'] - CNN Report

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]]
[[Category:Potatoes]]
[[Category:Political neologisms]]

Freedom Fries

2006-03-14T18:22:22Z

200.69.24.9:

Freedom Fries

2006-03-14T18:16:13Z

200.69.24.9:

[[Freedom fries]] are patriotic symbols of U.S. unity and resolve in the face of highly adversarial, rabidly antagonistic French policies and provocations. These symbols of
American resistance to hostile, anti-American French policies were first popularized by courageous U.S. Congressman Robert W. Ney and Walter B. Jones in 2003.

Freedom Fries marked a turning point in the obsolete trans-Atlantic Alliance and signaled
a strategic re-alignment of pro-Western nations that no longer included France.

==The Congressional renaming==
[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px|Menu from a House cafeteria featuring Freedom Fries]]
On [[March 11]], [[2003]], [[United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] [[Bob Ney|Robert W. Ney]] (R - Ohio) and [[Walter B. Jones]], Jr. (R - North Carolina) declared that all references to "'''French fries'''" and "[[French toast]]" on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to re-name French fries as ''"freedom fries"''. This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Congressman Ney's position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations in the house. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/]

According to a statement released by Ney, this move was a symbolic effort to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies" (see [[Iraq disarmament crisis]]). The statement further read: "This action today is a small, but symbolic, effort to show the strong displeasure many on [[Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.|Capitol Hill]] have with our so-called ally, France."

This feeling was spread through the Internet, chain e-mails and constant 24-hour news coverage from stations like [[CNN]] and [[Fox News]].

The French [[embassy]] made no comment, except to note that French fries come from [[Belgian cuisine|Belgium]]. "We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to [[potato|potatoes]]," said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman.

Congressmen Ney and Jones, however, were not the first to re-name French fries as freedom fries. A number of private restaurants across the country started the renaming movement. Neal Rowland, owner of the privately owned fast-food restaurant Cubbie's in [[Beaufort, North Carolina]], decided to sell his fried [[potato]] strips under the name "freedom fries." Rowland claimed that his intent was not to slight the French people, but to be patriotic and support President [[George W. Bush]]. Many of Rowland's customers were among the local military troops.

This symbolic change took hold in a meaningful way. This highly effective change seems to have galvanized U.S. public opinion had continues to provide government and military leaders with a cause of action justifying any and all options in dealing with the French.

'Mangeons les ''French fries,'' mais surtout pratiquons avec fierté le ''French kiss!
: (Let's eat French fries, but above all let's French kiss with pride!)
::-[[Protests against the 2003 Iraq war|Anti-war protest]] organizer, [[Montreal]] ([[15 March]] [[2003]])

In [[2005]], Jones, having come to the belief that the United States went to war "with no justification", said of the "freedom fries" episode, "I wish it had never happened." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1491567,00.html]

==Historical parallels==
Politically-motivated euphemism like this is reminiscent of [[anti-German sentiment]] during the [[World War I|First World War]], when [[sauerkraut]] was renamed ''[[liberty cabbage]]'', and [[hamburger]]s, ''liberty steaks''. (Even the [[German measles]] got a new name: ''liberty measles''.) This similarity is intentional: Rowland described a conversation about these renamed foods during World War I as the inspiration for "freedom fries."

Previous attempts to rename food during wartime have been largely unsuccessful, with one notable exception being the change of ''frankfurter'' to ''[[hot dog]]'' during [[World War II]]; although frankfurter is still recognized, it is no longer commonly used; the simplified form ''frank'' is still popular.

===In other countries===
Other examples were ''filete imperial'' ("imperial beef"), a euphemism for ''filete ruso'' ("Russian beef") and "ensaladilla nacional" ("national salad") instead of "ensaladilla rusa" ("Russian salad"), both appearing in Spain after the triumph of the [[Fascist]] General [[Francisco Franco]]. "Ellinikos kafes" ("Greek coffee") replacing "Turkikos kafes" ("[[Turkish coffee]]") on Greek menus after the Turkish-Greek collisions of the [[1920s]] and in [[Turkey]] ''Russian salad'' became ''American salad'' because of the anti-Communist sentiment in the country.

[[New Zealand]]: In 1998 during which time the French government were testing nuclear weapons in the Pacific, French loaves were reputedly renamed Kiwi loaves. This, however, does not appear to have been as extensively reported or [[media manipulation|publicized]] as anti-French sentiment in the United States, and is probably largely an urban myth.

[[New Zealand]]: The [[kiwifruit]] gets its name from a marketing strategy, naming it after the [[kiwi]], the national bird of New Zealand, where the fruit was first commercially popularised in [[1959]] by the New Zealand fruit-and-vegetable export company Turners and Growers; previously it was known as the ''Chinese gooseberry'', but due to the [[Cold War]], the Chinese label seemed unfit for popularization of the fruit in Western countries. Growers gradually adopted the name and in [[1974]] the kiwifruit became the official trade name.

[[Russia]]: The city of [[St. Petersburg]] was renamed Petrograd during [[World War I]] because it sounded too German.

[[United Kingdom]]: During [[World War I]], the [[German Shepherd]] was renamed the Alsatian due to strong anti-German sentiment. Similar renaming happened in [[Czechoslovakia]] after [[World War II]].

[[Canada]]: During World War I, the Ontario city of [[Berlin to Kitchener name change|Berlin was renamed]] [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]].

[[Austrian Empire|Austria]]: According to legend, during the [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] invasion of Austria during 17th century, a reverse example of this sort of propaganda occurred: the [[croissant]], a crescent-shaped pastry, was created as a way to satirize the Turks, whose emblem was the crescent.

[[Iran]]: [[Danish pastry|Danish pastries]] were renamed to "[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]" in February of 2006 as a result of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]]. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_danish_pastries]

[[Germany]]: in 1915, after [[Italy]] entered WW1,Restraunts in [[Berlin]] stopped serving [[Salad|Italian Salad]]

==See also==
*[[Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]
*[[W Ketchup]]
*[[Newspeak]]
*[[Old Europe]]
*[[Roses of the Prophet Muhammad]]

==External links==
*[http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2003/022503.asp Federal France-Bashing Standards & Guidelines] - From whitehouse.org parody web site (not whitehouse.gov).
*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/freedom.fries/index.html House restaurants change name of 'french fries' and 'french toast'] - CNN Report

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]]
[[Category:Potatoes]]
[[Category:Political neologisms]]