From Freedom Fries to "Lake America": How Politics Renames Everyday Things

In a recent executive order, Donald Trump instructed federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario as "Lake America," a move that cannot force Canada or the rest of the world to follow. Almost immediately, Google Maps altered its display for U.S. users, while Canadian users continued to see the traditional name; Apple reportedly made a similar adjustment. This renaming episode mirrors the early-2000s phenomenon when a North Carolina restaurant replaced "French fries" with "Freedom Fries" to protest the Iraq war, a change that quickly spread to House cafeterias.

MapQuest chose to keep the historic name, a decision that drove a dramatic rise in its app downloads. The incident underscores how political symbolism can infiltrate everyday language, influencing everything from menus to digital navigation tools.