Freedom fries was a
politically motivated renaming of
french fries
French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The term was coined in February 2003 in a North Carolina restaurant, and was widely publicized a month later when the then
Republican Chairman of the
Committee on House Administration,
Bob Ney, renamed the menu item in three Congressional cafeterias. The political renaming occurred in context of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
's
opposition to the proposed
invasion of Iraq
An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression.
Generally, invasions have objectives ...
. Although some restaurants around the nation adopted the renaming, the term became unpopular, in part due to
decreasing popularity of the Iraq War. After Ney's resignation as Chairman in 2006, the change of name in Congressional cafeterias was reverted.
Background
French opposition to the Iraq war
After the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
by
Al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
and the declaration of a "
War on Terror" by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, an
invasion of Iraq
An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression.
Generally, invasions have objectives ...
was proposed. During the
United Nations Security Council deliberations,
French Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (; born 14 November 1953) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007 under President Jacques Chirac.
In his career working at the Ministry ...
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. Though
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
also opposed the invasion, they had not threatened to use their
veto power
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto p ...
on the
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
; 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
Anti-French sentiment in the United States has consisted of unfavorable estimations, hatred, dislike, and fear of, and prejudice and discrimination towards, the Political system of France, government, Culture of France, culture, French language, l ...
.
Initial renaming
Renaming was initiated in February 2003 by
Beaufort,
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, "Cubbie's" restaurant owner Neal Rowland, who said he was motivated by similar actions against
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, when "
sauerkraut
Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugar ...
was called liberty cabbage, and frankfurters were renamed
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
s."
In an interview about the name change, Rowland commented, "since the French are backing down
rom the war French fries and French everything needs to be banned." In March 2007, Rowland obtained a
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
registration for the term "freedom fries", which was cancelled in November 2013.
U.S. House adoption

On March 11, 2003,
Republican U.S. Representatives Bob Ney and
Walter B. Jones directed the three House cafeterias to change all references to French fries,
French toast
French toast is a Dish (food), dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs as food, eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).''Oxfo ...
, and
French bread on menus, and replace them with ''Freedom fries'', ''Freedom toast'', and ''Freedom bread'', respectively. 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.
As Ney was Chairman of the
United States House Committee on House Administration
The United States House Committee on House Administration deals with the general administration matters of the United States House of Representatives, the security of the United States Capitol, and federal elections.
History
The Committee on Ho ...
, 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
Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...
have with our so-called ally, France."
When asked about his view on the change, Jones said it was a "lighthearted gesture." This also came to apply to dining halls for the
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority (; , CPA) was a Provisional government, transitional government of Iraq established following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, invasion of the country on 19 March 2003 by Multi-National Force – Iraq, U.S.-led Co ...
and the
Multi-National Force – Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a U.S.-led military command during the Iraq War from 2004 to 2009.
The vast majority of MNF-I was made up of United States Army forces. However it also ...
during the
U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Reactions
In response to the change,
French Embassy spokeswoman
Nathalie Loiseau commented "It's exactly a non-issue ... we focus on the serious issues" and noted that fries originated in
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. 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
mericansgive to potatoes." After the name reversal, an embassy spokeswoman said: "our relations are definitely much more important than potatoes ... and our relations are back on track."
In a 2005 opinion poll by
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". Several restaurants followed the House's change.
As of 2020, several American restaurants still used the name "freedom fries". Opposing the name change,
Saturn Cafe in
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz (Spanish language, Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population ...
, changed their menu to "
Impeach George W. Bush fries." Meanwhile,
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, currently branded as Reckitt, formerly known as Reckitt Benckiser, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition prod ...
, maker of
French's
French's is an American brand of prepared Mustard (condiment), mustards, condiments, fried onions, and other food items, best known for their popular yellow mustard. Created by Robert Timothy French, French's "Cream Salad Brand" mustard debuted ...
mustard
Mustard may refer to:
Food and plants
* Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment
* Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment
** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...
, were sufficiently concerned about the movement to publicly clarify that its brand derived from a family name.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
Democratic Congressman
Barney Frank
Barnett Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a retired American politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Frank served as chairman of th ...
noted that the change made "Congress look even sillier than it sometimes looks,"
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
Democratic Congressman
José Serrano characterized the renaming as "petty grandstanding," and urged fellow legislators to concentrate on more pressing issues.
The
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans () are Citizenship of the United States, citizens or United States nationality law, nationals of the United States who identify themselves with having full or partial French people, French or French Canad ...
indie band
Freedom Fry chose their name based on the Freedom Fries phenomenon. In 2005,
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...
and his band
Strange Sensation released the album ''
Mighty ReArranger'', which contains the track '"Freedom Fries," an
anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...
song whose lyrics contains the words "Freedom fries and burns and scars, the liberator goes too far."
Policy reversal
On August 2, 2006, the House cafeteria menus were changed back without any announcement.
The change was made by the new House Administration Committee Chairman,
Vern Ehlers, who replaced Ney following his resignation due to
a scandal. When asked about his decision, Ehlers responded, "It's no big deal ... It's not news."
When asked in 2005 about his opinion on the "freedom fries" episode,
Walter B. Jones responded, "I wish it had never happened."
See also
*
Politically motivated food name changes
*
Freedom pineapples
*
Star Spangled Ice Cream
*
Gulf of Mexico–America naming dispute
References
External links
"House restaurants change name of 'french fries' and 'french toast'", ''CNN.com'', March 11, 2003Johnny Depp on the Freedom Fries incident, "U.S. is like a stupid puppy", ''CNN.com'', September 3, 2003
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedom Fries
2003 neologisms
2000s fads and trends
Anti-French sentiment in the United States
American political neologisms
Propaganda in the United States
Propaganda in the Iraq War
Euphemisms
American nationalism
France–United States relations
108th United States Congress
Food politics
French fries
Fast food
Political terminology
Linguistic controversies
Iraq War terminology