blancmange [LME] In medieval times a blancmange was a dish of white meat or fish in a cream sauce—the ‘dessert’ sense seems to have come into use in the middle of the 16th century. The word is from Old French blanc mangier and literally means ‘white food’. Other words from French blanc, which is ultimately of Germanic origin, include blanch [ME], blank [ME], and blanket [ME]. Originally blanket referred to undyed (hence ‘white’) woollen cloth used for clothing. A dampened blanket would sometimes be used to extinguish a fire before going to bed. This is the origin of a wet blanket [E19th], a term for someone who spoils other people’s fun by refusing to join in or by showing disapproval.