A sauce made from meat juices and thickening agents; something valuable obtained easily or unexpectedly.
From Old French gravé, possibly a misreading of grané (containing grains), referring to the granular texture of the sauce. The metaphorical sense of 'easy money' or 'bonus' developed in American slang in the early 20th century.
Gravy's journey from kitchen to slang reveals how food metaphors penetrate every aspect of language. When we call something 'gravy,' we're drawing on the universal human experience of a simple sauce that transforms and enhances a basic meal - making the ordinary special.
Cooking/food preparation labor was feminized and naturalized as 'women's work'; culinary skill in domestic settings was unpaid and unrecognized versus male chef prestige.
Recognize domestic cooking as skilled labor, not innate feminine duty. Credit all home cooks and food workers equitably.
Women chefs and food writers (Julia Child, Edna Lewis) had to navigate male-dominated culinary institutions to gain recognition for expertise.
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