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{{Short description|Politically motivated euphemism for French fries}}

"'''Freedom fries'''" was a short-lived name used by some in the [[United States]] for [[French fries]]. The "freedom fries" affair was an unusual example of [[anti-French sentiment in the United States]].

{{Good article}}

In the international debates over the decision to launch the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], [[France]] expressed opposition to the U.S. insistence on military action, which led to the efforts by the [[Republican Party]] to capitalize on anti-French sentiment and garner support for the invasion.

[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px200px|Menu from a House[[United States Congress|Congressional]] [[cafeteria]] featuring Freedomfreedom Friesfries]]

'''Freedom fries''' was a [[politically motivated renaming]] of [[french fries]] in the [[United States]]. The term was coined in February 2003 in a North Carolina restaurant, and was widely publicized a month later when the then [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Chairman of the [[United States House Committee on House Administration|Committee on House Administration]], [[Bob Ney]], renamed the menu item in three Congressional cafeterias. The political renaming occurred in context of [[France]]'s [[United Nations Security Council and the Iraq War|opposition]] to the proposed [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]]. Although some restaurants around the nation adopted the renaming, the term became unpopular, in part due to [[Public opinion in the United States on the invasion of Iraq|decreasing popularity of the Iraq War]]. After Ney's resignation as Chairman in 2006, the change of name in Congressional cafeterias was reverted.

==Background==

==The Congressional renaming==

===French opposition to the Iraq war===

[[Image:Freedom-Fries-Menu.jpg|thumb|260px|Menu from a House cafeteria featuring Freedom Fries]]

After the [[September 11 attacks]] by [[Al-Qaeda]] and the declaration of a "[[War on terror|War on Terror]]" by President [[George W. Bush]], an [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]] was proposed, based on [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/15/defector-admits-wmd-lies-iraq-war false arguments about Iraq owning weapons of mass destruction]<ref>{{cite web | last1=Pidd | first1=Helen | last2=Chulov | first2=Martin | title=Defector admits to WMD lies that triggered Iraq war | work=The Guardian | date=15 February 2011 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/15/defector-admits-wmd-lies-iraq-war }}</ref>. During the [[United Nations Security Council and the Iraq War|United Nations Security Council deliberations]], [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (France)|French Minister of Foreign Affairs]] [[Dominique de Villepin]] made it clear France would neither support nor participate in the invasion, and that it would veto any resolution that mandates an invasion of Iraq.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jan/22/germany.france|title=France and Germany unite against Iraq war|date=January 22, 2003|access-date=April 1, 2013|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Though [[Russia]] and [[China]] also opposed the invasion, they had not threatened to use their [[United Nations Security Council veto power|veto power]] on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]]; as such, France was perceived as the main barrier to the American and British effort to secure a UN mandate for invasion. This caused some Americans to accuse France of betrayal, reigniting prior [[anti-French sentiment in the United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/04/beyond-freedom-fries-the-roots-of-american-francophobia/256253/|title=Beyond Freedom Fries: The Roots of American Francophobia|date=April 23, 2012|access-date=April 2, 2013|author=Max Fisher|work=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref>

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/]

==The Congressional=Initial renaming===

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 [[alliance|ally]], France."

Renaming was initiated in February 2003 by [[Beaufort, North Carolina|Beaufort]], [[North Carolina]], "Cubbie's" restaurant owner Neal Rowland, who said he was motivated by similar actions against [[Germany]] in [[World War I]], when "[[sauerkraut]] was called liberty cabbage, and frankfurters were renamed [[hot dog]]s."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5240572.stm|title=French fries back on House menu|date=August 2, 2006|access-date=February 5, 2013|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="bellantoni1">{{cite news|title=Hill fries free to be French again|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/aug/2/20060802-125318-3981r/?page=2|access-date=September 12, 2012|newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|date=August 2, 2006|author=Christina Bellantoni}}</ref> In an interview about the name change, Rowland commented, "since the French are backing down [from the war], French fries and French everything needs to be banned."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/americans-just-say-non-to-french-products|title=Americans Just Say 'Non' to French Products|date=February 19, 2003|access-date=April 2, 2013|work=[[Fox News Channel]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514145435/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,79038,00.html|archive-date=2013-05-14|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2007, Rowland obtained a [[trademark]] registration for the term "freedom fries", which was cancelled in November 2013.<ref name="ff_uspto">{{cite web|url=http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=76495776&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch|title=Latest Status Info, TM Reg. 3220999|work=[[United States Patent and Trademark Office]]|date=March 11, 2003|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref>

==U.S. House adoption==

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

[[File:Cubbies-Freedom Fries.jpg|thumb|right|Cubbie's, which was in Jones's district, is where the renaming originated.]]

On March 11, 2003, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representatives]] [[Bob Ney]] and [[Walter B. Jones Jr.|Walter B. Jones]] directed the three House cafeterias to change all references to French fries, [[French toast]], and [[French bread]] on menus, and replace them with ''Freedom fries'', ''Freedom toast'', and ''Freedom bread'', respectively.<ref>{{cite news |author=Entertainment team |date=2003-03-19 |title=Why stop there? Being mad at the French means renaming more than just fries |work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]] |___location=[[Newport News, Virginia]] |page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2004-08-11 |title=Chef Todd Misener began his career as a dishwasher |work=[[Northwest Florida Daily News]] |___location= |page=D5}}</ref> Jones chose to follow Cubbie's example by circulating a letter to his colleagues advocating their renaming because, he said, "the French were 'sitting on the sidelines.{{'"}}<ref name="bellantoni1" /><ref name="toastcnn">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/|title=House cafeterias change names for 'french' fries and 'french' toast|date=March 12, 2003|access-date=March 20, 2008|author=Sean Loughlin|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> As Ney was Chairman of the [[United States House Committee on House Administration]], the action did not require any vote, as the Committee has authority over House cafeterias. According to a statement released by Ney, the renaming was intended to express displeasure with France's "continued refusal to stand with their U.S. allies." The statement further read: "This action today is a small but symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure many on [[Capitol Hill]] have with our so-called ally, France."<ref name="toast">{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/house-now-serving-freedom-fries|work=[[Fox News]]|title=House Now Serving 'Freedom Fries'|date=March 11, 2003|access-date=February 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201005121/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,80700,00.html|archive-date=2013-02-01|url-status=live}}</ref> When asked about his view on the change, Jones said it was a "lighthearted gesture."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/national/12FRIES.html|title=An Order of Fries, Please, but Do Hold the French|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|date=March 12, 2003|access-date=March 20, 2013|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> This also came to apply to dining halls for the [[Coalition Provisional Authority]] and the [[Multi-National Force – Iraq]] during the [[Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011)|U.S. occupation of Iraq.]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chandrasekaran|first=Rajiv|url=http://archive.org/details/imperiallifeinem00chan|title=Imperial life in the emerald city : inside Iraq's green zone|date=2007|publisher=Vintage Books|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-307-27883-8|___location=New York}}</ref>

===Reactions===

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.

In response to the change, [[Embassy of France, Washington, D.C.|French Embassy]] spokeswoman [[Nathalie Loiseau]] commented "It's exactly a non-issue&nbsp;... we focus on the serious issues"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gannettonline.com/gns/faceoff2/20030312-18100.shtml|title=French fries? Mais non, Congress calls em freedom fries|author=Greg Wright|date=March 12, 2003|access-date=March 27, 2013|work=[[Gannett News Service]]|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020703/http://www.gannettonline.com/gns/faceoff2/20030312-18100.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> and noted that fries originated in [[Belgium]].<ref>[[Lee Iacocca|Iacocca, Lee]], ''Where Have All the Leaders Gone?'', p. 62. (Scribner Book Company, 2008) {{ISBN|978-141-653-2491}}.</ref> She then remarked that France's position on the change was that they were "in a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues, and we are not focusing on the name [Americans] give to potatoes."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2003-03-11/politics/sprj.irq.fries_1_freedom-toast-french-fries-and-french-freedom-fries|title=Freedom toast, French Fries and French Freedom Fries|work=CNN|date=March 11, 2003|access-date=September 13, 2013}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> After the name reversal, an embassy spokeswoman said: "our relations are definitely much more important than potatoes&nbsp;... and our relations are back on track."<ref name="bellantoni1"/>

In a 2005 opinion poll by [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]], participants were asked if they felt the renaming of French fries and toast was "a silly idea or a sincere expression of patriotism;" 66% answered it was silly, 33% answered it was patriotic, and 1% had no opinion. However, only 15% of participants actually considered using the term "freedom fries"; 80% said they would continue to call them "french fries".<ref>[[Alec Gallup|Gallup, Alec]], ''The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 2005'', p. 71. ([[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers]], 2006) {{ISBN|978-074-255-2586}}.</ref> Several restaurants followed the House's change.<ref name="toastcnn"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-03-11-freedom-fries_x.htm|title=French fries get new name in House|date=March 11, 2003|access-date=February 12, 2013|work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> As of 2020, several American restaurants still used the name "freedom fries".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-28 |title=Why are these American restaurants still serving "freedom fries"? |url=https://theface.com/life/france-us-iraq-invasion-freedom-fries-french-fries-sofitel-fuddruckers |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=The Face |language=en-gb}}</ref> Opposing the name change, [[Saturn Cafe]] in [[Santa Cruz, California]], changed their menu to "[[Efforts to impeach George W. Bush|Impeach George W. Bush]] fries."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cannabisnews.com/news/17/thread17244.shtml|title=Santa Cruz Makes Its Mark On The World|author=Dan White|publisher=Cannabis News|work=[[Santa Cruz Sentinel]]|date=September 7, 2003|access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Reckitt Benckiser]], maker of [[French's]] [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]], were sufficiently concerned about the movement to publicly clarify that its brand derived from a family name.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/french-s-mustard-denies-french-connection-1.364949|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017073247/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/03/27/french030327.html|url-status=live|archive-date=October 17, 2006|title=French's mustard denies French connection|work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=March 27, 2003|access-date=September 9, 2012}}</ref>

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.

[[File:AmericanFries.JPG|thumb|left|A snack bar sign advertising "American" fries at [[Knott's Berry Farm]]. The sign previously read "French".]]

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.

[[Massachusetts]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Congressman [[Barney Frank]] noted that the change made "Congress look even sillier than it sometimes looks,"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2061530_2061531_2061545,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418164310/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2061530_2061531_2061545,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2011|title=French Fries to "Freedom" Fries|author=Alexandra Silver|date=March 28, 2011|access-date=February 8, 2013|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> [[New York (state)|New York]] Democratic Congressman [[José E. Serrano|José Serrano]] characterized the renaming as "petty grandstanding," and urged fellow legislators to concentrate on more pressing issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2842493.stm|title=US Congress opts for "freedom fries"|date=March 12, 2003|access-date=March 8, 2013|work=[[BBC]]}}</ref>

The [[French American]] [[Indie (music)|indie]] band [[Freedom Fry]] chose their name based on the Freedom Fries phenomenon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freedomfrymusic.com/about/|title=About Freedom Fry|work=[[Freedom Fry]]|access-date=February 5, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, [[Robert Plant]] and his band [[Strange Sensation]] released the album ''[[Mighty ReArranger]]'', which contains the track '"Freedom Fries," an [[Opposition to the Iraq War|anti-war]] song whose lyrics contains the words "Freedom fries and burns and scars, the liberator goes too far."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/robert+plant+the+strange+sensation/freedom+fries_20804640.html|title=Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation Freedom Fries Lyrics|access-date=February 8, 2013}}</ref>

[[French kissing]], [[poodle|French poodle]]s, [[French dip sandwich]]es, [[French tickler]]s, [[Horn (instrument)|French horn]]s and American character 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]

===Policy reversal===

:''Mangeons les ''French fries,'' mais surtout pratiquons avec fiert&eacute; le ''French kiss!

On August 2, 2006, the House cafeteria menus were changed back without any announcement.<ref name="bellantoni1" /> The change was made by the new House Administration Committee Chairman, [[Vern Ehlers]], who replaced Ney following his resignation due to [[Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal|a scandal]]. When asked about his decision, Ehlers responded, "It's no big deal ... It's not news."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14152281|title=Fries are French again on Capitol Hill|date=August 2, 2006|access-date=February 5, 2013|work=[[NBC News]]|author=Michael Viqueira}}</ref> When asked in 2005 about his opinion on the "freedom fries" episode, [[Walter B. Jones]] responded, "I wish it had never happened."<ref name="jonesregrets">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/may/25/usa.jamiewilson1|title=French fries protester regrets war jibe|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 25, 2005|access-date=September 11, 2012|author=Jamie Wilson|___location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>

: (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]])

== See also ==

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.newsobserver.com/politics/story/2408783p-8786693c.html]

* [[Politically motivated food name changes]]

==Historical parallels==

* [[Freedom pineapples]]

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."

* [[Star Spangled Ice Cream]]

* [[Gulf of Mexico naming controversy]]

==References==

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.

{{reflist|30em}}

===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]]. ''Kafe elliniko'' ("Greek coffee") replacing ''kafe turkiko'' ("[[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|Rose of 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]

==See also==

*[[Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]

*[[W Ketchup]]

*[[Newspeak]]

*[[Old Europe]]

==External links==

{{commons category|Freedom fries }}

*[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.com'', ReportMarch 11, 2003]

*[http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/03/depp.us.reax.reut/ Johnny Depp on the Freedom Fries incident, "U.S. is like a stupid puppy", ''CNN.com'', September 3, 2003]

{{Potato dishes}}{{Iraq War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedom Fries}}

[[Category:2003 Iraq conflict]]

[[Category:Potatoes2003 neologisms]]

[[Category:Political2000s neologismsfads and trends]]

*[[Category:Anti-French sentiment in the United States]]

[[Category:American political neologisms]]

[[Category:Propaganda in the United States]]

[[Category:Propaganda in the Iraq War]]

[[Category:Euphemisms]]

[[Category:American nationalism]]

[[Category:France–United States relations]]

[[Category:108th United States Congress]]

[[Category:2003Food Iraq conflictpolitics]]

[[Category:French fries]]

[[Category:Fast food]]

[[Category:Political terminology]]

[[Category:Linguistic controversies]]

[[Category:Iraq War terminology]]