Lox

/lɑːks/ noun

Definition

Cured or smoked salmon, typically served thin-sliced on bagels with cream cheese and capers.

Etymology

From Yiddish 'loks,' which came from Old Norse 'lax' and other Germanic languages. Jewish immigrants brought this word to America, where it became tied to New York Jewish deli culture and the iconic bagel-and-lox breakfast.

Kelly Says

Lox traveled from Scandinavian fish-preservation methods → Yiddish-speaking Jewish communities → iconic American Jewish food, and now when you order it at a bagel shop, you're speaking a word that traveled 1,000 years across languages and cultures.

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