Who invented the phrase fast food?

Answer:

The etymology of any Word or phrase evolves in history with its semantic content and its usage.There are multiple aspects of usage ,either through experiments by a single individual as an invented Word acknowledged by a social group ,as in the Word 'sandwich' or a workable Word/slang/phrase used in a particular social working community to become usable phrase and generally accepted as it evolves through a brief phase during its usage, and not any moment in history. Such Words find a place in everyday usage.

The marines,the soldiers,immigrant workers etc in time have evolved and contributed to such terminology not only in the English vocabulary but their own native language.

The phrase fast food has acquired an American terminology to mean convenient food that is prepared fast, served fast and quickly packed as take away food evolving other terms like QSR to become a long term established social interact term similar to Words in English terminology like Break fast ,as food consumed after a nights fast , or Brunch- a midway meal between breakfast and lunch.

In America the concept of food served fast by vendors for immigrant workers,Industrial and working class quick meals became roadside restaurants term in the automobile age but more rapid during the period 1939-1945 to acquire a common acceptable term in the age of momentous migrations of Latin Americans,Jews,Chinese workers who used vernacular terms like Matza(in Jewish community for food consumed after the long month fast in days of Ramadan for all fasting food as fast food)or terms like Pizza,nando etc in their regionality of culture and cuisine,but in a multicultural setup the standard usage term Fast food was accepted.

A later usage of the Word as unsuitable to the health conscious or the elite class was termed Junk Food.

Fast Food acquired a standard usage with time and was introduced in the Merriam Webster Dictionary as an American term in 1951.