# Chili size **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207 "2010-03-12T05:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/1 "2010-03-12T05:24:33Z")
Do you know what a chili size is? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/2 "2010-03-12T05:28:09Z")
The story of the [chili size](http://www.chilicookoff.com/History/History_Started.asp). > [@](#): > > Mr. Beck tells me that chili was once called “size” in the town known to him as Lil-ole-ell-ay. “Size” came into usage by way of one Ptomaine Tommy, once proprietor of the largest and best known chili parlor in the city. Ptomaine Tommy served straight chili and an epical Southwestern variation, a hamburger smothered with chili. He had two ladles, a large and a small. When a customer ordered straight chili, he got out the large ladle. When he wanted the other, he usually said “Hamburger size.” So Ptomaine Tommy put up one sign that read HAMBURGER SIZE 15¢, and another that read CHILI SIZE 20¢. Other chili joints followed suit and before long chili was know throughout Los Angeles as “size”. They’d say, “Just gimme a bowl of size.” ETA-Where did that poll come from? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/3 "2010-03-12T05:30:40Z")
I grew up with them, eating them since I was a little kid. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/4 "2010-03-12T05:31:37Z")
This is the first I’ve heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/5 "2010-03-12T05:36:20Z")
New to me, too. I’ve only ever heard of putting chili on hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/6 "2010-03-12T05:39:41Z")
For Option 3: [Here is the oldest Chili Size thread I found](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=197517) [In which I ask about the origin of the name](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=349716). All those years eating them, and never wondering how they came to be! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/7 "2010-03-12T05:40:44Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > ETA-Where did that poll come from? I was wondering how you answered like two seconds after I posted the poll! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/8 "2010-03-12T05:50:43Z")
It seems to be a delay between the thread posting and the poll opening up. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/9 "2010-03-12T05:56:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > For Option 3: > > [Here is the oldest Chili Size thread I found](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=197517) > > [In which I ask about the origin of the name](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=349716). All those years eating them, and never wondering how they came to be! Well, the second thread linked invalidates my claim that this is the first I heard of it. Apparently, it’s the second time I heard of it, the first being 12/15/05. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/10 "2010-03-12T06:00:24Z")
Sounds like a very regional thing, so us midwesterners will discover it in 20 years or so. I loved fish tacos when I was in La Jolla 15 years ago… they are now somewhat common here. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/11 "2010-03-12T12:12:32Z")
I’ll have a 4-way bean, please. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/12 "2010-03-12T13:47:02Z")
Yum. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/13 "2010-03-12T13:50:36Z")
I wanted to answer that I had heard of it/them at the Dope, but I couldn’t remember details of what I had “read” about it/them. So for purposes of accuracy I went with “don’t know.” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/14 "2010-03-12T14:16:35Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Sounds like a very regional thing, so us midwesterners will discover it in 20 years or so. > > I loved fish tacos when I was in La Jolla 15 years ago… they are now somewhat common here. Chili on burgers in LA has been around for a lot more than 15-20 years. If it’s not out to you yet, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/15 "2010-03-12T14:41:53Z")
The original [site](http://www.lincolnheightsla.com/bitsnpieces/). ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/16 "2010-03-12T14:50:38Z")
Well chili on burgers I’ve heard of (and loved!) my whole life, as far as I know. But I never heard of no “chili size.” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/17 "2010-03-12T14:51:25Z")
Denny’s restaurants used to have chili size on the menu, and it was my favoritest thing ever. Then they dropped it, along with my other favorite, the patty melt. Every night just before I go to sleep, I take a moment to eternally curse the offspring of everyone associated with Denny’s. Is that a bit over the top? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/18 "2010-03-12T14:52:09Z")
I’ve never heard of chili size. I thought this would be about growing peppers. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/19 "2010-03-12T14:52:23Z")
Not at all. A proper chili size, with lots of cheese and onions, is worth fighting for. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207/20 "2010-03-12T17:34:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not at all. A proper chili size, with lots of cheese and onions, is worth fighting for. Patty melts, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207.md?page=2)