freedom fries

noun

French fries.

Meanings

nounfreedom fries pl (plural only)
  1. USdatedhumorouspluralplural onlyraresometimesgovernmentFrench fries.

    French Toast Egg Bagels Served as French Toast Freedom Fries Irish Nachos Freedom Fries, Bacon Bits, Chedder^([sic]) & Jack Cheese

    2013 June 24, Dave Lieberman, quoting the menu of Bagel Me! restaurant, “Restaurant in Villa Park Still Sells “Freedom” Fries, But Doesn't Have a Problem with “French” Toast”, in OC Weekly
    3 more examples

    [Q.]“Freedom fries” is a symbol of anti-French feeling. Does that sort of thing gall you? [A.]Higonnet: […] Again, one has to distinguish between the public situation, in which a sense of hostility to things French is quite severe, and the private situation inside the university world where, when people talk about freedom fries, it's a big joke.

    2003 March 22, Joseph Rosenbloom, quoting Patrice Higonnet, “Europeans in America: Freedom fries and raw nerves”, in International Herald Tribune

    Upset by the failure of the French government to support the war, however, the chairman of the House Administration Committee announced on March 11 that he had ordered “French toast” and “French fries” stricken from the menu of the House cafeteria. In their place would be “freedom toast” and “freedom fries.”

    2006, Andrew Rudalevige, The New Imperial Presidency, page 3

    Republican House members then ordered that “French fries” on the menus of all congressional restaurants be renamed “Freedom fries.” In response, a French Embassy spokesperson noted that fries had originated in Belgium.

    2021 September 17, Karen DeYoung, “France recalls its ambassadors to the United States and Australia over submarine dispute”, in Washington Post

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

Blend of freedom + French fries. Originated at Cubbie's, a restaurant in Beaufort, North Carolina (owner Neal Rowland) in February 2003. "It was never about politics," Rowland said of his initial decision to rename French fries "freedom fries." "It was about supporting our troops. Nothing has changed here. We still support our troops, and we still call them freedom fries."

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

freedom fries. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freedom%20fries

MLA

“freedom fries.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freedom%20fries. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “freedom fries,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freedom%20fries.

Source: freedom fries on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.