Step 1 : Introduction to the question "4. Welsh Rarebit, which essentially consists of melted cheese on toast, was originally known by which misleading name?"
...1. Welsh Rabbit 2. Welsh Dragon 3. Welsh Corgi 4. Welsh Rearbite The earliest record of this dish was in 1725, when it was known as Welsh Rabbit, despite the fact that the recipe doesn't call for any meat whatsoever. The potential for confusion may explain why the name transformed into Welsh Rarebit around 1785, but that still didn't educate people on what they were eating. Variations abound, but this savory treat generally calls for cheddar cheese to be mixed with mustard, cayenne pepper, beer (or ale) and Worcestershire sauce, and melted over toast. So why was it called "Rabbit" in the first place? The true origins of the name Welsh Rabbit are unknown, but it may have reflected the relative affluence of the denizens of the Kingdom of Great Britain at the time. In those days, only the well to do could afford to eat beef or mutton on a regular basis. Even amongst the have-nots, the Welsh were generally worse off than their English counterparts, so while the poor in England had to make do with poultry or rabbit when they could get it, in Wales the poor-man's meat was cheese. The name was accordingly a joke at the expense of the Welsh, implying that they were so poor that they ate cheese and pretended it was rabbit. As there is no evidence that this dish originated from Wales, another possible explanation of the name is that it exemplified the tendency at the time for the English to describe items of inferior quality as provincial versions of the genuine article. Similarly, the Scotch Woodcock isn't made from a game bird, but is actually scrambled eggs and anchovy meat or paste on toast.
