# Candy time: Are you a Smartie or a Dum-Dum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157 "2019-10-02T16:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/1 "2019-10-02T16:09:30Z")
It’s almost time for Halloween, which means “Busy Season” for the makers of [Smarties](https://www.smarties.com/)and [Dum-Dums](https://www.dumdumpops.com/). (Honestly, do these candies even exist outside of October?) So, if given the choice of either a Dum-Dum lollipop or a roll of Smarties, which do you take? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/2 "2019-10-02T16:12:11Z")
Dum-dum, no contest. I’m a sucker for hard candy. 🙂 Dum-dums do exist outside of Halloween, but mostly in little baskets next to bank tellers and a few checkout counters. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/3 "2019-10-02T16:14:36Z")
I’m a Smartie person myself, but I keep the candy dish on my desk stocked with Dum-Dums. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/4 "2019-10-02T16:31:58Z")
It saddens me that [smarties.com](http://smarties.com) is owned by the company that makes the American abomination, not one of the companies that makes proper Smarties (the inspiration for M&Ms). ---
**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:** [October 2, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/5 "2019-10-02T16:43:59Z")
Smarties. Not that either is great but dum dums are deffo worse than smarties. At least with smarties you can organize them by color before eating which is something. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/6 "2019-10-02T16:47:41Z")
There should be an option for neither: Chocolate candy. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/7 "2019-10-02T16:49:49Z")
Dum-dums. I swipe all I can from tellers and such. My glucose might go low. Can’t take chances. Need suckers. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/8 "2019-10-02T17:28:33Z")
Neither. Both are gross, being non-chocolate candy. But if you held a gun to my head, I’d pick Dum-Dums. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/9 "2019-10-02T17:44:21Z")
I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted, or even seen, either of those candies. I’m not sure what they are. But I’m not much into candy, except chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/10 "2019-10-02T17:44:42Z")
Smarties exist year round. When I was younger, I was seriously addicted to them and used to love the day after Valentine’s Day sales. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/11 "2019-10-02T17:57:21Z")
I said Smarties but it’s a little more complicated. Dum-Dums depend on flavor. Some I really liked as a kid and would call better. I can’t for the life of me remember enough to say for sure which ones. I’d pick Smarties over a single Dum-Dum picked at random from a bag, though. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/12 "2019-10-02T18:00:44Z")
I will happily consume either or both. But for Halloween, I really prefer those miniature chocolate bars. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/13 "2019-10-02T18:35:21Z")
Dum-Dums, all the way. I could do with a butterscotch one right now. :o ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/14 "2019-10-02T18:55:35Z")
Given the choice: Smarties. However, one look at my A1C and if there was a third choice of, “I’ll pass,” I’d take that one. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/15 "2019-10-02T19:15:58Z")
I appreciate the calls for chocolate, as I would prefer almost any item of food to a dum-dum or some smarties, but for the sake of this thread, let’s pretend someone has a gun to your head and you have to choose one. Otherwise it just becomes another “What’s your favorite candy?” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/16 "2019-10-02T19:19:38Z")
Between those two: Smarties. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/17 "2019-10-02T20:00:50Z")
I’ve got quite a sweet tooth, but am hard pressed to imagine a situation in which I would eat either of those. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/18 "2019-10-02T20:03:14Z")
Top choice: unAmerican M&M-style Smarties Second choice: American Sweet tart-style Smarties Last choice: Dum Dums ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/19 "2019-10-02T20:19:20Z")
Love Smarties. Not sure what dum dums are, ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157/20 "2019-10-02T21:07:09Z")
Lollipop for me. I like most flavors of Dum Dums. I like these Smarties. > **[Giant Smarties Candy Rolls: 36-Piece Box](https://www.candywarehouse.com/products/giant-smarties-candy-rolls-36-piece-box)** > > What’s smarter than Smarties? With their fruity flavors and distinctly crunchy texture, these sweet tablet candies have been an American favorite for decades. Honestly, if there’s anything we could possibly wish to change about the yummy hard candy,... I haven’t tried the new ones with a hard shell. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/candy-time-are-you-a-smartie-or-a-dum-dum/841157.md?page=2)