Answer: Sausages

For those readers dialing in from the British Isles, or with family from the region that still cooks traditional dishes, today’s trivia was a bit of a softball. In the British Isles, you’ll find a very simple fare that is served in pubs across the region as well as cooked up at home: bangers and mash—or, for you non-anglophiles, what everyone else would call “cooked sausages and mashed potatoes”.

The combination, often served with gravy and a companion vegetable like fried onions or peas, has a long history in the region as a simple food that’s found nearly everywhere. It wasn’t until the early 20th century, however, that it acquired its modern name. Rationing during World War I lead to sausages made with such a high water content that they would often pop, with a small “bang” even, when cooked under high heat. The nickname stuck and ever since then, pub goers have ordered up a plate of “bangers and mash”.