Where does the word “toaster” come from?
According to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 11th Edition, from 1910-1911, the word toast was borrowed from the Old French “toste”, which has the Latin root of “torrere, tostum,” meaning to scorch or burn. The encyclopedia also has this to say about the origin of the word toast, as when one “raises a toast”: It was formerly the custom (a 16th Century fashion) to have pieces of toast floating in many kinds of liquor, especially when drunk hot. It is said to be from this custom that the word is used of the calling upon a company to drink the health of some person, institution or cause. The following apocryphal story is being told by guides in more than one location about the origin of the word “toaster” : I was recently told a story that is a bit unbelievable about the history of the first toaster. Can you please tell me the truth about where it came from and how it got it’s name? I would really appreciate it. It goes like this… I went to historic Deerfield, Massachusetts where a guide w