# California, Prop 65, and licorice: Licorice Gate! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2014, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383 "2014-11-23T02:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/21 "2014-11-25T18:13:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I clearly specified the need for _one_. That’s two. > > Thank you for your effort, though. No, you specified a _want_. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/22 "2014-11-25T20:02:56Z")
> [@Obsidian](#): > > Prop 65 has got to be one of the stupidest laws this state has got. Those signs are literally everywhere and on everything, and are therefore completely meaningless. It’s a joke. It was comparison to Prop 65 that doomed the prop that would put “may contain GMO” labels on all our food. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/23 "2014-11-25T20:28:28Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I clearly specified the need for _one_. That’s two. > > Thank you for your effort, though. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > No, you specified a _want_. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Thanks for the heads up. Can you tell me what is the new word for an anise-flavored candy that I can use when I want to ask for that without having the red crap pushed off on me? > > Because we **need** one. You were saying? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/24 "2014-11-25T20:33:47Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > We already have one. It’s licorice. Yeah, that’s what I thought. However, **Yookeroo** has pointed out that the meaning of “licorice” has shifted so that it no longer excludes candies that are not licorice-flavored. So I want to find out what is the new _single, stand-alone_ word that does exclude such candies. I don’t have the time to go using multiple words to store clerks when I need to get my licorice on. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/25 "2014-11-25T20:38:44Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > You were saying? I assume the same sort of thing you said to Kayla when she insisted she needed a pony. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/26 "2014-11-25T20:43:55Z")
Heh. Look, it isn’t even simply about a thing that _ **I** _ need. The English language needs it, for the sake of all of us speakers thereof, to facilitate communication, and to allow our vocal interactions to be both concise and accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/27 "2014-11-25T21:10:58Z")
You assume that concision is necessarily a desirability in a language. Here, swap out facilitate for aid. Now you’ve got the syllables free for black licorice. You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/28 "2014-11-25T21:50:23Z")
> [@AnaMen](#): > > I love black licorice, but can’t we have an unleaded version? I’m no fan of nanny-statism and unnecessary food restrictions, nor concerned about lead in household items, but I think California may be onto something here with not permitting it in food. I was all set to agree with you until I realized you said “I love black licorice” therefore you are clearly delusional and be dismissed out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/29 "2014-11-25T23:07:24Z")
Wait, so if licorice no longer means “things that taste like licorice”, what _does_ it mean? Chewy candy in general? ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/30 "2014-11-25T23:32:03Z")
**Licorice** 1. Candy that tastes like licorice 2. Candy that tastes like plastic ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/31 "2014-11-26T15:16:18Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Wait, so if licorice no longer means “things that taste like licorice”, what _does_ it mean? Chewy candy in general? That seems like a poor categorization anyway, unless you also refer to things like anise, star anise and fennel as licorice since they also taste like licorice. There’s regular black licorice and red licorice. Which one you think of when hearing just the word licorice is probably a product of where you grew up and the common candies there. That being said, I definitely don’t really think of things like twizzlers or red vines as being ‘licorice’ candy. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/32 "2014-11-26T15:26:52Z")
Maybe those other candies are just licor-ish? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/33 "2014-11-26T19:43:21Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > This would freak out consumers in the other 49 states that don’t realize that Prop 65 is a joke. I think you’re assuming way too much about what the people in the other 49 states would freak out about. Most of them probably don’t give a damn about what California thinks. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/34 "2014-11-27T05:17:29Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > **Licorice** > > 1. Candy that tastes like licorice > 2. Candy that tastes like plastic Licorice does not taste like plastic! It tastes like vulcanized rubber. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/35 "2014-11-27T06:08:32Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > How bout blicorice? XD I’m not sure why I get the Vermont Country Store catalog, but it’s always interesting. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/36 "2014-11-27T06:21:30Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > My brain aches a bit. Mine too. Does licorice simply by its very nature have high levels of lead, or it is just the licorice produced by these particular manufacturers? And aren’t we talking about artificial flavorings anyway? Why can’t they just remove the lead from the product? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/37 "2014-11-27T19:25:02Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > That seems like a poor categorization anyway, unless you also refer to things like anise, star anise and fennel as licorice since they also taste like licorice. There’s regular black licorice and red licorice. Which one you think of when hearing just the word licorice is probably a product of where you grew up and the common candies there. That being said, I definitely don’t really think of things like twizzlers or red vines as being ‘licorice’ candy. How about [these](http://www.candywarehouse.com/products/twizzlers-licorice-bites-black-16-ounce-bag/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=CjwKEAiAtNujBRDMmoCN46aB8noSJAC7SYv7oQ5G6mNfmYRogVSM9JmPd-HIV4_6sLP1rzWKjqOSKxoCV7Tw_wcB) Twizzlers? Or [these](http://www.candywarehouse.com/products/black-red-vines-licorice-twists-240-piece-tub/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping&utm_term=%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=CjwKEAiAtNujBRDMmoCN46aB8noSJAC7SYv7S_zdwnCSMaso5lyFwNA4uJu_EZRYW3t3rL9UIFKpxRoCw0Dw_wcB) Red Vines? How does everyone feel about [peach](http://www.groovycandies.com/candy/kennys-peach-1.asp?gclid=CjwKEAiAtNujBRDMmoCN46aB8noSJAC7SYv7N-17CE0C-efiU86YUU_afZxNP-OX2ldxYGgl5KNY8BoCThLw_wcB) licorice? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Wait, so if licorice no longer means “things that taste like licorice”, what _does_ it mean? Chewy candy in general? It does mean “things that taste like licorice”. It seems to also mean “chewy candies that come in the same forms as licorice traditionally does”. I bet, without clicking the peach licorice link, you have a pretty good idea of what the candy is like. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/38 "2014-11-28T11:05:59Z")
I hope it tastes like peach with a hint of licorice, because that sounds yummy. if it just tastes like peach, though, then the way I feel about peach licorice is “disappointed.” ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383/39 "2014-11-30T01:29:20Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > I think you’re assuming way too much about what the people in the other 49 states would freak out about. Most of them probably don’t give a damn about what California thinks. They just should put it on there, but add a part to that says “Hey, don’t worry about this, our licorice is perfectly safe but you know those crazy Californians, so let’s just humor them with this silly, inaccurate warning. Please disregard the previous sentence if you indeed are a crazy Californian. Please disregard the warning if you’re anyone else.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/california-prop-65-and-licorice-licorice-gate/705383.md?page=1)