| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| Welsh rabbit, Welsh rarebit (nn.) |
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| Welsh rabbit and Welsh rarebit are both Standard English names for a dish of melted cheese and beer served on toast or crackers, presumably so-called as an insult to the impoverished or uncivilized Welsh, who were said to eat it instead of the rabbit meat they lacked; hence Welsh rabbit is almost certainly an ethnic slur. Welsh rarebit is a folk etymology apparently either contrived to avoid offending the Welsh or caused by a misunderstanding of the intended noun, since perhaps some couldn’t see a connection between cheese and rabbits. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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