# Are Hot Dogs sandwiches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928 "2014-12-22T17:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/121 "2014-12-23T21:45:57Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > Not a sandwich. Neither is a taco or a pizza. Come on folks… you don’t order a hot dog sandwich. You order a ham sandwich, or a turkey sandwich, or a tuna sandwich. But never a hot dog sandwich. If the determinant is what you call it when you ask for one, then an ice cream sandwich is a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/122 "2014-12-23T21:47:53Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I was playing along. Guess you missed that. Uh, yeah. . .so was I. :smack: Clearly, I’m humor-impaired; or am I? ::waggles eyebrows significantly:: This is one of the funnier threads to come along. I’m not sure that it’s peculiar to the Dope to have a hot dog thread go to three pages (and counting), but it seems wonderfully unusual to me. And with no mention of ketchup! ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/123 "2014-12-23T22:03:01Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > If the determinant is what you call it when you ask for one, then an ice cream sandwich is a sandwich. I vote that an ice cream sandwich is a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/124 "2014-12-23T22:08:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Uh, yeah. . .so was I. :smack: Clearly, I’m humor-impaired; or am I? ::waggles eyebrows significantly:: > > This is one of the funnier threads to come along. I’m not sure that it’s peculiar to the Dope to have a hot dog thread go to three pages (and counting), but it seems wonderfully unusual to me. And with no mention of ketchup! I’ve been driving myself crazy for the past 30 minutes trying to think of the thread we did a few weeks/months back that was almost exactly like this. Food item, poll was split 50/50, semantics, etc. I have faith that someone will be along to set me straight. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/125 "2014-12-23T22:09:59Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > If the determinant is what you call it when you ask for one, then an ice cream sandwich is a sandwich. Well then so is an open-faced sandwich, which you can’t even pick up without getting some seriously astonished looks. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/126 "2014-12-23T22:13:40Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > The menus give prices for “meals” that supply fries and drinks with the burgers, do they not? What term identifies prices for burgers _without_ fries and drinks? > [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m going to guess “burger.” Good guess. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/127 "2014-12-23T22:38:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > And with no mention of ketchup! Oh, you did NOT just go there… (because it is clearly acceptable) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/128 "2014-12-23T22:44:08Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’ve been driving myself crazy for the past 30 minutes trying to think of the thread we did a few weeks/months back that was almost exactly like this. Food item, poll was split 50/50, semantics, etc. > > I have faith that someone will be along to set me straight. There was a thread I started a year ago: What do you prefer - [Italian or Mexican food](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713726) which, like this one, was also surprisingly 50/50. But I don’t recall much arguing of semantics, so that’s likely not it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/129 "2014-12-23T22:47:28Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It’s funny that to me this is the opposite of my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups [question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738758). Reese’s are not technically candy bars but _feel_ like candy bars. Hot Dogs are technically sandwiches but don’t _feel_ like sandwiches. > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’ve been driving myself crazy for the past 30 minutes trying to think of the thread we did a few weeks/months back that was almost exactly like this. Food item, poll was split 50/50, semantics, etc. > > I have faith that someone will be along to set me straight. This one? ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/130 "2014-12-23T22:56:17Z")
**theR** ’s post is going to be the ultimate turning point, here. This isn’t a question of labelling as regards a single dish-species, this is a major question of culinary cladistics. Dish-genus “hot dog on a bun” is clearly different from dish-genus “lunchmeat-between-slices-of-bread,” but we have to ask how far back the divergence goes. The argument, as I see it, is whether these two genuses both fall under the family “sandwich” or whether the hot dog falls under a different family. Or perhaps “sandwich” should describe a whole order? Or even a class? I’m afraid we’ve got some work ahead of us, folks. I think we need to collect some holotypes. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/131 "2014-12-23T23:06:33Z")
I have had people offer me a ‘hot dog’ and then serve me a real hot dog sandwich when I wasn’t paying attention to the horror that they were really proposing. That is, they either folded a piece of regular bread (Wonder Bread for example) in half to make a crude bun or just put one or two hot dogs between two pieces of bread (wheat bread in one case). Granted, that creates an actual ‘hot dog sandwich’ but it is also nasty as shit too. I tried to eat it but couldn’t because you just get a glop of ketchup saturated bread transmogrifying into one of the worst food creations I can imagine. What I am saying is that it is possible to create a real ‘hot dog sandwich’ but give it a try with lots of toppings and see if you want to repeat that experiment. I will stick with the tried and true classic hot dog and its proprietary buns specially made for the purpose. Those are NOT sandwiches because hot dog sandwiches are disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/132 "2014-12-23T23:14:38Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > This one? That’s the one. Are Reese’s cups a candy bar? Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/133 "2014-12-23T23:48:46Z")
FWIW in old movies they often will say “Hamburger Sandwiches”. That was what they were called but the name shrunk over time. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/134 "2014-12-24T00:20:21Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > FWIW in old movies they often will say “Hamburger Sandwiches”. That was what they were called but the name shrunk over time. Pizzas were ‘pies’ too. I am sorry, I am not buying it. People were just really ignorant and unsophisticated about food in general throughout most of early to mid 20th century America. Also, open faced ‘sandwiches’ are a contradictory abomination. I don’t allow oxymorons in my house. Some people abuse and misuse food terms in ways that would result in a jail sentence if they were done to people. Please don’t treat your food that way. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/135 "2014-12-24T00:22:45Z")
In Australia, a sanga (sausage sandwich) is a barbecued (grilled) sausage, placed diagonally across a piece of fluffy white bread slathered in marg (margarine) and doused liberally in tomato sauce (ketchup) or barbecue sauce (not BBQ sauce) if you’re a heathen, with fried (grilled) onions on top if you’re being fancy. A sanga is a sandwich, a hot dog is not. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/136 "2014-12-24T00:41:00Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > In Australia, a sanga (sausage sandwich) is a barbecued (grilled) sausage, placed diagonally across a piece of fluffy white bread slathered in marg (margarine) and doused liberally in tomato sauce (ketchup) or barbecue sauce (not BBQ sauce) if you’re a heathen, with fried (grilled) onions on top if you’re being fancy. > > A sanga is a sandwich, a hot dog is not. You guys slather your sausages in _margarine_? (I’m deliberately avoiding the ketchup bit.) Well, I think you’ve revoked any say on the matter. 😉 (Actually, that does sound pretty tasty. I’m not sold on the margarine, but I’m not going to say “no” to one, if offered. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/137 "2014-12-24T00:41:04Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > In Australia, a sanga (sausage sandwich) is a barbecued (grilled) sausage, placed diagonally across a piece of fluffy white bread slathered in marg (margarine) and doused liberally in tomato sauce (ketchup) or barbecue sauce (not BBQ sauce) if you’re a heathen, with fried (grilled) onions on top if you’re being fancy. > > A sanga is “an emetic” is the only proper finish to that sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/138 "2014-12-24T04:39:16Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Just curious: could we somehow retroactively remove the name of the Earl of Sandwich from the history books? That would fix a whole bunch of this shit! 😃 No, no, no! History must remain forever sacrosanct: [veoh](http://www.veoh.com/watch/v17990992nmqFyzgY?h1=The+Party) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/139 "2014-12-24T06:27:46Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > No, no, no! History must remain forever sacrosanct: [veoh](http://www.veoh.com/watch/v17990992nmqFyzgY?h1=The+Party) Excellent! I almost tried to find that video to make the point better myself! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928/140 "2014-12-24T06:36:27Z")
To bring up a point on the first page: if a hot dog is a sandwich, then why is a soft taco not? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-hot-dogs-sandwiches/707928.md?page=8)