Quote:
Originally Posted by old alal
Why is cooked meet sliced into "slices" but bacon is sliced into "Rashers" ?
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Credit goes to original poster on another forum:
It would appear that "rasher" gains its meaning from "rash", close to "rush" in English, indicating that the slice of bacon is "hastily roasted over the coals", cf. "rashed" meaning "burnt in cooking, by being too hastily dressed".
After all, it is true that a very thin slice of meat cooks extremely quickly, and is used in modern cooking too (see charbonnade).
Another suggestion is from the Middle English verb which translates "rashen" as "to cut".
Take your pick, but it seems to be just part of the historical etymology of the word why it means what it does. A rasher of bacon can also sometimes be used to mean a "portion" or "serving" of bacon, not just a single slice.