“Chef: Any cook who swears in French”

“Chef Any cook who swears in French” is from Cooking: A Cook’s Dictionary (1985) by humorist Henry Beard and illustrator Roy McKie. The jocular definition has been frequently cited.
 
The word “chef” is French and short for chef de cuisine, or head of the kitchen. Julia Child’s The French Chef public television show aired from 1963 to 1973.
   
 
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
chef noun \ˈshef\
(...)
Origin of CHEF
French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen
First Known Use: 1840
 
Google Books
Cooking:
A Cook’s Dictionary
By Henry Beard and Roy McKie
New York, NY: Workman Publishing Company
1985
Pg. 29:
Chef Any cook who swears in French.
 
Google Books
Funniest Thing You Never Said 2:
The Ultimate Collection of Humorous Quotations
By Rosemarie Jarski
London: Ebury
2009
Pg. 9:
Chef: any cook who swears in French.
Henry Beard
 
Twitter
Funny One Liners
‏@funnyoneliners
A chef is a cook who swears in French.
8:05 PM - 16 Aug 10

Twitter
Billy Bigelow
‏@jsringo
A chef is a cook who swears in French.
6:19 PM - 21 Apr 11
 
Twitter
Eric Weinhardt
‏@EricWeinhardt
#Chef, n.: Any cook who swears in #French.
8:37 AM - 11 Oct 12