# Foods/dishes whose name does not compute **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 3, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092 "2023-04-03T16:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/41 "2023-04-03T21:58:36Z")
A peanut is not a nut. A Brazil nut is not a nut. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/42 "2023-04-03T22:00:44Z")
Cathead biscuits are suspiciously devoid of feline cranial content. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/43 "2023-04-03T22:05:57Z")
And Boston is not an ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/44 "2023-04-03T22:14:59Z")
And Animal Crackers do not contain any animals. Not even any animal products. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/45 "2023-04-03T22:18:39Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > A peanut is not a nut. > > A Brazil nut is not a nut. The words “nut,” “berry,” and “fruit” have common usages that do not entirely match their strict botanical meanings. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/46 "2023-04-03T22:22:22Z")
The _Chicken Dinner_ candy bar contained no chicken, and was seldom served for dinner. [![](https://i.postimg.cc/xddsHgJS/chicken-dinner-candy-bar.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/xddsHgJS/chicken-dinner-candy-bar.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/47 "2023-04-03T22:27:56Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The Bison neighborhood of Hamburg, of course! Otherwise they’re just sparkling meatballs. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/48 "2023-04-03T22:29:52Z")
Because the chocolates look like the fungus. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/49 "2023-04-03T22:31:20Z")
And continuing the theme, Goldfish crackers contain no goldfish whatsoever. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/50 "2023-04-03T22:35:15Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > A peanut is not a nut. > > A Brazil nut is not a nut. Hardly any nuts are nuts. Adding on, city chicken. I still don’t get that one… Supposedly, it was because it was hard to find real chicken in the city, but chickens are a lot easier to raise in a city than pigs or cows. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/51 "2023-04-03T22:35:21Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The _Chicken Dinner_ candy bar contained no chicken, and was seldom served for dinner. Similar objection to the Idaho Spud bar > **[Idaho Spud Bar](https://www.idahospud.com/products/idahospudbar1ct)** > > The popular Idaho Spud Bar is a wonderful combination of a light cocoa flavored, soft marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut (Sorry, no potato!). It was originally marketed as a "Healthful" candy bar... ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/52 "2023-04-03T22:44:11Z")
Circus Peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/53 "2023-04-03T22:48:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The _Chicken Dinner_ candy bar contained no chicken, and was seldom served for dinner. Much like the Chick-O-Stick candy bar contains no chick, nor stick. [![](https://economycandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/552e2850-6306-428b-8ab9-743efefe859b.jpeg) ](https://economycandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/552e2850-6306-428b-8ab9-743efefe859b.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/54 "2023-04-03T22:51:46Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > Circus Peanuts They’re not peanuts. And peanuts are not nuts. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/55 "2023-04-03T23:17:52Z")
It’s false nuts all the way down… ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/56 "2023-04-03T23:22:59Z")
Coconut is also not a nut, and contains no cocoa. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/57 "2023-04-03T23:27:04Z")
There’s no gravel in grits, no dogs in hushpuppies, no elderly witches in haggis, and no toilets, ambulatory or stationary, in Hoppin’ John. Nor is there any hardware in lox. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/58 "2023-04-04T02:40:18Z")
The mincemeat I make contain 2 pounds of beef chuck, but a whole batch makes a lot more than one pie. The original recipe (my grandmother’s century-old one) calls for a half pound of suet, but I usually leave it out. It’s true there’s more fruit than meat: oranges, lemons, apples, raisins, and candied citron. It’s not my favorite pie, but it’s an interesting contrast of sweet and meaty, with enough warm spices and acid to prevent is being cloying. The sickly sweet meatless crap you can buy in a jar at the grocery store is a pale imitation of the real thing. Bearclaws contain no ursines, nor parts of ursines. The pope’s nose is not made from a pontifical nasal appendage. Long pig is not made from pigs. Foods named after people aren’t usually made out of those people. Bismarcks, Peach Melba, and Melba toast, beef Stroganoff, etc. I once checked the label of Butternut brand bread, and found it was made without butternuts, butter, or nuts of any kind. Apparently they still make Butternut bread, but I haven’t seen it in the stores in 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/59 "2023-04-04T03:00:29Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > Circus Peanuts. I love them, and refer to them as Circus Styrofoam By-Products. . > [@Stana\_Claus](#): > > I’m pretty sure Girl Scout Cookies don’t contain any Girl Scouts. [old dad joke]: If olive oil is pressed olives, and peanut oil is pressed peanuts, then what’s baby oil made from? ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092/60 "2023-04-04T03:06:13Z")
One of my top childhood food memories was tasting a mincemeat pie with shredded beef in it. I really liked it (I like unusual stuff) and have never tasted it since. Care to share your recipe? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-dishes-whose-name-does-not-compute/982092.md?page=4)