Bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potato) is a typical British meal. Not exactly gourmet, but popular with hungry kids and truck drivers. But why are sausages called bangers?
The Daily Mail today has an extract from a new book about the origins of popular dishes, including pavlova, sandwich, Battenberg cake and Caesar salad. The book, by Albert Jack, is called What Caesar did for my salad.
Bangers are so-called because after the First World War there was little meat in sausages -- just scraps, cereal and water -- so they sizzled and spluttered a lot when they were frying. It sounded as if there were mini explosions, or bangs, going on, hence the name bangers.