Cheddar is a firm, smooth cheese, usually pale yellow, sometimes a deeper orange. It can taste mild or sharp, depending on how long it has been left to sit. The name comes from Cheddar, a town in the west of England. The Old English name Ceodre probably comes from ceodor, a word for a hollow, a pouch, or a ravine, because a famous gorge sits beside the town. The cheese was first made there, in cool caves. Though actually, most cheddar in shops now is made in many countries; the name became a type. It is everyday food in British and American sandwiches, not a rare luxury. In very informal American English, cheddar can also mean money, like cash, but that is slang, and you can ignore it on a menu.