The Sandwich—a Word with Nefarious, Blasphemous, and Corrupt Origins

Where did the word “sandwich” come from?

The sandwich, which is most popular with world-wide eaters, functions as a noun or a verb and usually prefers to have its name pronounced as SAND wich. Besides the more obvious occupation of being something edible between two or more slices of bread, metaphorically speaking, it also likes to squeeze in between two other people, places, things, materials, etc. For example, he is willing to sandwich in an appointment between two other meetings or her car was sandwiched between two other cars in the parking lot.

The word sandwich that we use today was born in London during the very late hours one night in 1762 when an English nobleman, John Montagu (1718-1792), the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was hungry. The legend goes that he ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was able to continue his gambling while eating his snack; and from that incident, we have inherited that quick-food product that we now know as the sandwich. He apparently had the meat put on slices of bread so he wouldn’t get his fingers greasy while he was playing cards. It’s strange that the name of this fiend should have gone down in history connected to such an innocent article of diet.

The Earl of Sandwich, the sandwich, and the town of Sandwich

The title, Earl of “Sandwich”, comes from Old English (O.E.) Sandwic, and literally means “sand village,” “sandy place,” or “place on the sand.” The old English wic is a loan word from Latin vicus, “hamlet”, which also gives us the word vicinity. The first recorded mention of the town was around 640 CE.

The family of the Earls of Sandwich has no real connection to the town itself, only the title. Apparently, the First Earl, Edward Montagu, originally intended to take the title of the Earl of Portsmouth—this might have been changed to honor the town of Sandwich, because the fleet he was commanding in 1660 was lying off the coast of Sandwich, before it sailed to bring Charles II back to England.

It is generally thought that neither the town of Sandwich, nor the word “sandwich” as an item of food, has any reference to each other, only with John Montagu, who happened to have the title. A sandwich could just as easily have been called a “portsmouth” if the First Earl, Edward Montagu, had not changed his mind.

Can you imagine ordering a “foot long submarine portsmouth, please” or a “roast beef portsmouth on rye”? Well, why not?

The Fourth Earl of Sandwich was considered one of the most immoral men of his time

John Montagu is said to have been immoral in both his private and public life, and gambling was just one of his lesser vices. He was the First Lord of the Admiralty, incompetent and very corrupt. In fact, it is very likely that he indirectly contributed to the success of the American Revolution because of his malfeasance as the chief admiral of the English navy. According to Jane Polley, “Sandwich managed to reduce the British Navy to a state of total confusion around the time that the American Revolution started—a contribution at least as significant as the munchable lunch.”

The Earl was a member of a group of Satan Worshippers called “The Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe,” also known as “The Hell Fire Club.” He boasted that he specialized in seducing virgins because he enjoyed “the corruption of innocence, for its own sake.” Sandwich was the executive officer of the Club and was described as being “as mischievous as a monkey and as lecherous as a goat.” He was also called “the most universally disliked man in England.” According to Daniel Mannix in his The Hell Fire Club, “In addition to being anti-religious, Sandwich was violently anti-democratic. He despised the general public and opposed any public figure who tried to get a better break for the common man. Because of his friendship with the King and his control of the English Navy, Sandwich was one of the most important men of the time and exerted a profound influence on the destiny of the British Empire.”

The 11th Earl of Sandwich comments on the Sandwich namesake

In the July 22, 2003, issue of the International Herald Tribune, there was an article titled: “Making bread from a famous name” by Sarah Lyall in which we learn about the 11th Earl of Sandwich and his son, Orlando Montagu, setting up a sandwich-selling business known as, “The Earl of Sandwich.”

Historically speaking, one Sandwich Earl or another has been in Parliament continuously since the 1660’s. The most famous Earl of Sandwich was the fourth one. He was the First Lord of the Admiralty and he financed the expedition of Captain Cook, who named the Sandwich Islands after him (later, these islands became present-day Hawaii). Since the fourth Earl’s all-night gambling session in which he would not stop to eat and ordered some meat between two pieces of bread, all of the subsequent Earls of Sandwich have been linked with sandwiches. In fact, the grandfather of the 11th Earl was referred to as “Lord Snack.”

In 2001, The Earl of Sandwich (the company) began delivering upscale sandwiches, made with fresh ingredients from small British producers, to businesses across London. The company also sells sandwiches to Waitrose supermarkets; the packages bear the family crest. In the autumn of 2003, The Earl of Sandwich company prepared to embark on its biggest venture yet, when it opened its first cafe, at Disney World in Florida. It now has 19 US locations as well as one location in Paris, France, and of course the original location in London. The company is still expanding.

When he shops at Waitrose supermarkets, the 11th Earl enjoys buying Earl of Sandwich sandwiches, each of which bears his family signature. It would appear that this “upper crust” family is now striving to make “bread” with its famous name--a nice change from the infamy of several hundred years ago.

Answer the following questions:

• What is sandwich? Where did it appear?

• Who is John Montagu?

• What can you tell about the town of Sandwich? Where can we see it?

• What is the Hell Fire Club? Why is it so famous?

• What other snacks do you know? What is your favorite one?

E xercise 7

Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases from the text above. When can they be used? Give examples of their usage.

Write all your answers in your workbook.

Nefarious
Blasphemous
To squeeze
Roast-beef between two slices of bread
Lesser vices
Gambling session
Destiny
Expanding
To embark
Infamy of several hundred years ago

E xercise 8

What do you know about the United States of America? Fill in the map with American states and their capitals. Learn them by heart.

 Write down American states and their capitals in your workbook. Mark them on the map.

E xercise 9

Where can we find these sites in the USA? What are they?

Write all your answers in your workbook.

1)	2)
3)	4)
5)	6)
7)	8)
9)	10)

E xercise 10

Crossword grid: print out and complete.

Write all your answers in your workbook.

E xercise 11

Read the following article. What do you think about it? Is it true or not? Why? Prepare your own list of differences between men and women in form of a presentation.

Write your list of differences and notes for presentation in your workbook.