# In your opinion: What's a sandwich? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762 "2010-12-29T23:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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 30, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/41 "2010-12-30T06:00:10Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > Where are the corners in a burger? Nowhere, my friend. Apparently you have never been to a White Castle’s. > **[Redirect Notice](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http:%2F%2Fdeals.vegascoupons.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F05%2Ffree-white-castle-burgers-el-cortez-vegas.jpg&imgrefurl=http:%2F%2Fdeals.vegascoupons.com%2Ffree-white-castle-burgers-at-el-cortez-on-memorial-day%2F&usg=__2YbTfO8R7QT2wJmHtAgYCLN2gcs=&h=242&w=330&sz=15&hl=en&start=0&sig2=20ZLnK4jbdm7TUs_gbhpEg&zoom=1&tbnid=FF7xCwyyXGG0hM:&tbnh=162&tbnw=188&ei=Mx8cTf3ZMMGC8gb836zUCg&prev=%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dwhite%2Bcastle%2Bburger%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D685%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=363&vpy=128&dur=54&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=126&ty=96&oei=Mx8cTf3ZMMGC8gb836zUCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0)** ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/42 "2010-12-30T06:09:58Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I never call a burger or a sloppy joe a “sandwich” but I won’t argue with you if you want to I’ll add my support to that statement. I’ve never seen a hamburger called a sandwich outside of a McDonald’s coupon. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/43 "2010-12-30T07:03:13Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Apparently you have never been to a White Castle’s. Or Wendy’s! They use square meat patties. ---
**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 30, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/44 "2010-12-30T07:05:43Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Open face sandwiches aren’t _true_ sandwiches because you can’t eat them bare-handed. Not without making a huge mess, anyway. (I’m thinking about things like sloppy joes and turkey ‘n’ gravy) When I say I grew up on open-faced sandwiches, I don’t mean the hot types that require a knife and fork to eat–I’m talking about a slice of Eastern European rye bread, some butter, a cold cut, optional cheese, and sometimes tomato and onion with a little salt and pepper. They were meant to be eaten bare-handed. Or when we had tomato sandwiches, they were only made with one slices of bread. Making these into true sandwiches with two slices of bread would have been much too heavy and bready with the texture of the bread that was common around the house. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/45 "2010-12-30T07:07:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > All of the above except ‘open-faced sandwiches’. This. If a one common ingredient is covering other ingredients, it is probably a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/46 "2010-12-30T07:12:43Z")
Yet another “everything except open-faced”. An open-faced sandwich is a regular old dinner that happens to be served on top of the bread that came with it. I’ve never understood their alleged sandwichitude. ---
**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 30, 2010, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/47 "2010-12-30T07:17:17Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > Yet another “everything except open-faced”. An open-faced sandwich is a regular old dinner that happens to be served on top of the bread that came with it. I’ve never understood their alleged sandwichitude. When I voted for open-faced, I meant [a sandwich like this.](http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-5987217-open-faced-turkey-and-ham-sandwich.php) It’s just a sandwich missing the top layer of bread. Turkey and gravy on a piece of white bread, though, or anything you can’t eat with your hands, I definitely don’t count as a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/48 "2010-12-30T08:24:35Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Any of the above. I’m surprised to see an Englishman say that. I thought burger=sandwich was a purely American construction. My definitions: Sandwich - two slices of bread (cut from a loaf of bread) with stuff in it(hot or cold, doesn’t matter) Burger - roll with a vaguely circular hot thing in it (beef pattie, veggieburger, chicken schnitzel) Roll - roll with any other filling in it. There may not be any particular kind of logic behind it, but it’s a comprehensive classification at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/49 "2010-12-30T08:33:33Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > I’m surprised to see an Englishman say that. I thought burger=sandwich was a purely American construction. > > My definitions: > > Sandwich - two slices of bread (cut from a loaf of bread) with stuff in it(hot or cold, doesn’t matter) > > Burger - roll with a vaguely circular hot thing in it (beef pattie, veggieburger, chicken schnitzel) > > Roll - roll with any other filling in it. > > There may not be any particular kind of logic behind it, but it’s a comprehensive classification at any rate. Those are the classifications I use- burgers aren’t sandwiches and sandwiches aren’t burgers. A steak sandwich is such if it’s served on bread sliced from a loaf; if it’s served on buns it’s a steak burger. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/50 "2010-12-30T09:45:50Z")
And gyros, and hot dogs, and… basically, “food inside bread”. Food on top of bread is a tapa, and if skewered a pincho. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/51 "2010-12-30T10:59:26Z")
All of them are sandwiches, even the burger. Definition of a sandwich is layer of whatever between 2 portions of bread. I may call a burger a burger and not sandwich but it is still a form of sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/52 "2010-12-30T11:20:19Z")
> [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > Burritos and wraps are subsets of tacos and are clearly not sandwiches. I agree that they are subsets, but that still makes them sandwiches. They have bread, filling, bread. That’s all that’s required. If they aren’t sandwiches, then paninis (aka pressed sandwiches) aren’t sandwiches. But the best exampleof a sandwich in Mexican food is the is the tamale. They were designed to be portable food that can be held in a hand, and are made of bread with a filling inside, just like other foods you list as sandwiches. While, yes, if you say you want a sandwich, the default is the classical variety, I think all of these things are subtypes. Oh, and all cakes and cookie counts as bread, too. Ice cream sandwich, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/53 "2010-12-30T12:56:38Z")
Sandwiches are two pieces of bread, which are buttered or margarined with a filling. In the U.K. if we have the equivalent, but made with a bread roll, we call it a (name of filling) roll.ie. a salad roll, a beef roll etc. Hot dogs and burgers aren’t sandwiches, just as a Doner Kebab, even though it is served inside pitta bread is not a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/54 "2010-12-30T14:56:01Z")
Most of these definitions are using bread as the defining attribute. Is the KFC Double Down dealy, for example, not a sandwich? ---
**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:** [December 30, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/55 "2010-12-30T15:17:26Z")
> [@HardlySanguine](#): > > Most of these definitions are using bread as the defining attribute. Is the KFC Double Down dealy, for example, not a sandwich? Or what about a hamburger that uses grilled cheese sandwiches [for buns](http://abcnews.go.com/WN/article/friendlys-grilled-cheese-burger-melt-tips-scales-shocks/story?id=11013926)? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/56 "2010-12-30T15:28:02Z")
I think the term for that is “crime against nature” ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/57 "2010-12-30T16:07:25Z")
I answered everything except a burger or a hot open-faced “sandwich,” but I can’t provide a logic for why some “stuff in/on bread” counts and some doesn’t. I think it’s like pornography: I know it when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/58 "2010-12-30T16:15:18Z")
What about a toad in a hole? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/59 "2010-12-30T16:19:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Or what about a hamburger that uses grilled cheese sandwiches [for buns](http://abcnews.go.com/WN/article/friendlys-grilled-cheese-burger-melt-tips-scales-shocks/story?id=11013926)? Bread on top, bread on the bottom, stuff in the middle. A sandwich. An evil sandwich but a sandwich nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762/60 "2010-12-30T16:20:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In another thread, someone describes a hamburger as a “Sandwich.” > > I’ve noticed this before, and wonder if it’s a regionalism. I’ve never heard someone in real life call a hamburger a “sandwich.” A hamburger is a hamburger, or a burger. It is not a sandwich. To be, a sandwich is two peices of bread with stuff in the middle. It’s not a regionalism. “Hamburger” is a contraction of a longer concept, like “hamburger sandwich” or “Hamburg-style sandwich.” All the things in your list are sandwiches, except the open-face sandwich. > [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > A sandwich is the first description on your list. > > A burger is a burger. > > A sub is a sub. > > A sloppy joe is a sloppy joe. > > I wonder if the people who refer to these as ‘sandwiches’ are the same prople who call all varieties of soda ‘a coke’? Hmmmmmmm… You’ve got it backwards. A sandwich is a general category of which all your other examples are specific instances. You’re the one insisting that it is wrong to refer to a Coke as a variety of soda. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-opinion-whats-a-sandwich/565762.md?page=4)