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The sandwich takes its name from John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792). The popular story says he asked for meat between slices of bread so he could eat without leaving the card table; his biographer thinks he more likely ate it at his desk.

Etymology

LanguageHistory

The story behind the card

The gambling version comes from the French writer Pierre-Jean Grosley, who visited London in 1765 and described a minister who stayed at the gaming table for 24 hours, living on beef between slices of toast. His book appeared in French in 1770 and in English in 1772. The historian N. A. M. Rodger, Sandwich's biographer, points out that as First Lord of the Admiralty, the minister in charge of the Royal Navy, Sandwich was a hard-working man who was more likely eating at his desk. Putting food between bread was nothing new; his title simply gave it a name. Captain James Cook, whose Pacific voyages Sandwich supported, also named the Sandwich Islands, today Hawaii, in his honour.

Türkçe oku
Sandviç, adını 4. Sandwich Kontu John Montagu'dan (1718–1792) alır. Yaygın hikâyeye göre kont, kumar masasından kalkmadan yiyebilmek için iki dilim ekmek arasına et koydurmuştu; biyografisini yazan tarihçi ise onun bu yemeği büyük olasılıkla çalışma masasında yediğini düşünür.

Kumar masası hikâyesi, 1765'te Londra'yı ziyaret eden Fransız yazar Pierre-Jean Grosley'den gelir. Grosley, kumar masasından 24 saat kalkmayan ve bu sürede yalnızca iki dilim kızarmış ekmek arasındaki sığır etiyle idare eden bir bakandan söz eder. Kitabı 1770'te Fransızca, 1772'de İngilizce yayımlandı. Kontun biyografisini yazan tarihçi N. A. M. Rodger ise başka bir tablo çizer: Sandwich, Kraliyet Donanması'ndan sorumlu bakan olarak çok çalışan biriydi ve bu yemeği büyük olasılıkla çalışma masasında yiyordu. Yiyeceği ekmek arasına koymak yeni bir fikir değildi; kontun unvanı ona yalnızca adını verdi. Pasifik seferlerini desteklediği Kaptan James Cook da bugünkü Hawaii'ye onun onuruna Sandwich Adaları adını vermişti.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Sandwich
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