mayonnaise

ˈmā-ə-ˌnāz noun
a thick sauce made from egg yolks and oil
Someone once told me that the word mayonnaise is derived from an Irish chef named McMahon. His French clients were much taken by a special sauce of his invention, which they called "sauce mahonaise". No idea if this is true, but it's a good story. My home dictionary connects the word to the French capture of the city of Mahón (in Minorca) in 1756. For a photo of Mahón, click on: http://uk.encarta.msn.com/media_121625431_761571952_-1_1/Mah%C3%B3n_Minorca.html, and then ask yourself why you spend your winters in New England.