What is the origin of the word "MAYONNAISE"? No two Frenchmen will give you the same answer. "Of or belonging to Mayonne" would seem to be the meaning of the word; but then there is no such place as Mayonne in the whole of France. Grimod de la Reyniere maintained that the proper word was "BAYONNAISE," meaning a native of Bayonne, on the Spanish frontier. Afterwards Grimod, who was a resourceful man, got hold of another idea, and said that the word was probably "MAHONNAISE," and so named in honour of Marshal Richelieu's capture of the stronghold of Mahon, in the island of Minorca. But what had this victory got to do with a salad dressing? What was the connection of raw eggs and tarragon vinegar with Marshal Richelieu? Then up came another cook, in the person of Carême, who established it as an absolute certainty that the genuine word was "MAGNONNAISE," from the word "_manier_," to manipulate. But as nobody would stand this definition for long, a fresh search had to be made; and this time an old Provençal verb was dug up--_mahonner_, or more correctly _maghonner_, to worry or fatigue. And this is now said by purists to be the source of _Mayonnaise_--"something worried," or fatigued. And the reason for the gender of the noun is said to be that in ancient times lovely woman was accustomed to manipulate the salad with her own fair fingers. In the time of Rousseau, the phrase _retourner la salade avec les doigts_ was used to describe a woman as being still young and beautiful; just as in Yorkshire at the present time, "she canna mak' a bit o' bread" is used to describe a woman who is of no possible use in the house. So a _Mayonnaise_ or a _Mahonnaise_--I care not which be the correct spelling--was a young lady who "fatigued" the salad. More shame to the gallants of the day, who allowed "fatigue" to be associated with youth and beauty! But can it possibly matter what the word means, when the mixture is smooth and savoury; and so deftly blended that no one flavour predominates? And herein lies the secret of every mixture used for the refreshment of the inner man and woman; whether it be a soup, a curry, a trifle, a punch, or a cup--no one ingredient should be of more weight or importance than another. And that was the secret of the "delicious gravy" furnished by the celebrated stew at the "Jolly Farmers," in _The Old Curiosity Shop_ of Charles Dickens. MAYONNAISE (we will drop for the nonce, the other spelling) is made thus: