The Belgians aren't waffling when they claim jurisdiction over pommes frites, but who is buying it? Even the fact that the potatoes' frenched version is now taken to be a geographical indicator is an ode to the haute-ness of the French in the culinary world. Many food-related terms are couched in their language, especially when it comes to the mise en place — the preparation of ingredients — besides cooking and serving processes. While everyone may not know that a mirepoix is a mix of finely-diced onions, carrots and celery, and that thinlysliced veggies are juliennes, most know terms such as hors d'oeuvres, au gratin, volauvent, canape and so on. It is not surprising, therefore, that the word French itself has become part of the cook's lexicon, meaning either to trim meat away from the bone or to slice anything into strips. The latter makes it clear why potato fries are said to be Frenched even if the British believe they are only chips off the old spud.