Toast

How do you prefer your toast? Hot or cold? Toasted? Grilled? Do you like a piece of spiced toast in your glass of wine or ale?
 
The verb ‘to toast’ has its origins in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root ters (to dry), Latin tostare, and 12th century Old French toster (to toast, to grill, roast, burn). The verb ‘to toast’ (to brown with heat) appears in English in the late 14th century. From ters to toast—not much has changed over the years.
 
The noun toast, meaning a piece of bread browned by fire or dry heat, is from the early 15th century. Originally, toast was something added to wine or ale—sort of like croutons in soup or salad. The custom of putting such a bit of plain or spiced toast in a mug of ale at a tavern is well-known from the drinking songs of the 17th century.
 
The noun toast, meaning a call to drink to someone’s health, is from the 1690s. The verb ‘to toast’, meaning to propose or drink a toast, is from 1700. From 1704, a person who proposed a drinking toast was called a toaster. The use of toast to refer to the person whose health is proposed and drunk to is from 1746. The term toastmaster is from 1749. In contrast, the slang phrase, “He’s toast”, from 1987, means a person or thing already doomed or destroyed.
 
Originally, such toasts were directed to a beautiful or popular woman whose health is proposed and drunk to. Here’s an anecdote from The Tatler, an early 18th century British literary and society journal: “Steele's story ["Tatler," No. 24] is that an (unnamed) beauty of the day was taking the cold waters at Bath, when a gentleman dipped his cup in the water and drank it to her health; another in his company wittily (or drunkenly) replied that, while he did not care for the drink, he would gladly enjoy the toast” (Online Etymological Dictionary).
 
But back to the kitchen. The use of electrical toasters is from 1913. The term ‘toaster-oven’ appears in 1957.
 
So, how do you prefer your toast? Hot or cold? Toasted, grilled? Check out this amusing article:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/09/how-to-eat-toast
 
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
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