Where did the term making a toast come from?

Answer 1

I have not been able to find where this term came from, however there is some informatin about that it means. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toast_%28honor%29

A toast is someone or something, in honor of which people usually have a drink, the drink or honor itself, or the act of indicating that honor. For example, a person could be "the toast of the evening", for whom someone "proposes a toast" to congratulate and for whom a third person "toasts" in agreement.

A "toast" is mainly a Western World term, and is generally a message of good will towards the person or thing indicated.

There are 3 parts to a "toast":
1. reason for the toast such as cheers, or blessings on someone,
2. the agreement of the people hearing the proposal, usually signified by the raising of the glasses; this actually precedes the verbal element in many cases, and
3. imbibing a drink "seals" the toast: however, in some cases there is an expectation that one drains one's glass; if you put the glass down without taking a drink, it indicated you do not agree with the proposal.