1762, said to be a reference to John Montagu (1718-1792), Fourth Earl Sandwich, who was said to be an inveterate gambler who ate slices of cold meat between bread at the gaming table during marathon sessions rather than get up for a proper meal (this account dates to 1770). It was in his honor that Cook named the Hawaiian islands (1778) when Montagu was first lord of the Admiralty. The family name is from the place in Kent, Old English Sandwicæ, literally "sandy harbor (or trading center)." For pronunciation, see cabbage. Sandwich board, one carried before and one behind, is from 1864.
1841, from sandwich (n.), on the image of the stuff between the identical pieces of bread. Related: Sandwiched; sandwiching.
town (parish) at the northern edge of Dover district, administrative and historic county of Kent, England. It lies along the River Stour, 2 miles (3 km) from the sea. Originally the tidewater came far enough up the Stour estuary to make Sandwich a port. By the 9th century the town had replaced the decayed Roman port of Richborough, and in the 11th century it became one of the Cinque Ports. It flourished during the European Middle Ages and was chartered as a borough in 1226. English kings continually used it for their expeditions to France, and its herring fishing and general trade prospered. Progressive silting of the channel entrance led to its decay by the 17th century; and an influx of French and Flemish Protestant refugees only temporarily revived its prosperity. In modern times it has remained small, retaining many old buildings along the narrow, winding streets within the line of the old walls, now marked by a public walk. Two of its medieval churches, St. Clement's and St. Peter's, are conspicuous buildings, as is St. Mary's, rebuilt in 1667. Its golf course is well known. Pop. (2001) 4,753.
in its basic form, slices of meat, cheese, or other food placed between two slices of bread. Although this mode of consumption must be as old as meat and bread, the name was adopted only in the 18th century for John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who had sliced meat and bread brought to him at the gaming table so that he could continue to play as he ate. His title lent the preparation cachet, and soon it was fashionable to serve sandwiches on the European continent, and the word was incorporated into the French language. Since that time the sandwich has been incorporated into virtually every cuisine of the West by virtue of its simplicity of preparation, portability, and endless variety