What's the origin of the word "lunch"?

Search: lunch etymology

Why: I just had a terrible one. First, the dopes at the food store gave me the wrong order, so I had to eat turkey chili instead of chicken tortilla soup. THEN I got jalapeno chip dust on my finger and accidentally touched my eyeball, temporarily blinding myself for the second time in 3 days.

(Click for full effect.)

Anyway, "lunch" is one of the ugliest words in the English language. I just hate it.

Answer: Lunch comes from luncheon, which played out like this:

• Old English scencan and scenc, "pour out"
• 1580 - nonechenche, "light midday meal" (from none, "noon" + schench, "drink")
• Spanish lonja, "a slice" (literally "loin")
  
• 1590 - lunch, "hunk of bread or cheese"
• luncheon meat, "thick piece or hunk"
• 1650s - "light repast between mealtimes"
  

Wow, that's even grosser than I thought.

Source: EtymOnline.com

The More You Know: "Specialized in loose-meat sandwiches." Yum.