"sirloin"/"baron of beef"

     [This is a fast-access FAQ excerpt.]
"Sirloin" comes from Old French surlonge, from sur "above"
and loigne "loin".  Its current spelling may have been influenced
by a story that a King of England (variously said to be Henry VIII,
James I, and Charles II) "knighted" this cut of beef because of
its superiority.
   A "baron of beef" is a joint consisting of two sirloins left
uncut at the backbone.  This "baron" may have originated as a joke
on "sirloin", or it may be an independent word.