# Lollipop or Sucker? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132 "2012-07-13T19:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/1 "2012-07-13T19:05:10Z")
Which word do you use to refer to the candy? Age and location / childhood location would be nice. I say lollipop, age 38, lived in NJ for my first 26 years, more-or-less. I now live in California, and it seems that 95% of people say “sucker.” EDIT : [Old thread without poll, on the same topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=374908&highlight=sucker). Joe ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/2 "2012-07-13T19:07:08Z")
I said lollipop, but I’m likely to say lolly too. Grew up in Western NY. ---
**Author:** ![kmshrader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@kmshrader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmshrader)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/3 "2012-07-13T19:08:41Z")
Sucker, unless it’s some sort of special emphasis. Grew up in Oklahoma, primarily. ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/4 "2012-07-13T19:23:50Z")
Lollipops are spherical. Suckers are disk-shaped. Age 42, grew up in Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/5 "2012-07-13T19:25:45Z")
I’ve always said both. The kind you can just keep in your mouth, like dumdum or tootsie roll pops, those are suckers. The big round disk are lollipops. I’m from Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/6 "2012-07-13T20:46:36Z")
Suckers - grew up in SE TN, age 38. (Now I’d call the little ones suckers and the great big ones lollipops, but I’m not even sure I knew the great big ones existed when I was a kid) ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/7 "2012-07-13T21:08:10Z")
Agree with all who said : lolipops are disk shaped and usually multicolored. Suckers are sperical. You lick a lolipop, and you, fittingly, suck a sucker. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/8 "2012-07-13T21:12:47Z")
I guess I call them all lollipops… but suckers doesn’t sound weird to me at all. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/9 "2012-07-13T21:16:24Z")
almost 50 from Arkansas. Sucker is what I call any hard candy. I think of Jolly Ranchers as suckers without the stick. Lollipop reminds me of Shirley Temple. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/10 "2012-07-13T21:16:45Z")
> [@Lightlystarched](#): > > Lollipops are spherical. Suckers are disk-shaped. > > Age 42, grew up in Phoenix. This. I’m 44, so I’m going to conclude that it’s an age thing 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/11 "2012-07-13T21:32:51Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > Agree with all who said : lolipops are disk shaped and usually multicolored. Suckers are sperical. You lick a lolipop, and you, fittingly, suck a sucker. Close, except suckers don’t have to be spherical. Flat candies on a stick can also be suckers if they’re small enough to be eaten as suckers. Suckers were the cheaper-tasting product that was sold in bulk and often found in free candy bowls. Lollipops were more of a premium product that were sold individually and more for special occasions like when I was at a fair. 25, grew up in Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/12 "2012-07-13T22:09:12Z")
Lollipop is disk shaped. Everything else is a sucker. 43, Northern California ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/13 "2012-07-13T22:16:25Z")
Flat, disk shaped, and anywhere from sorta big to the size of a pizza? Lollipop. Small enough to get in your mouth and generally NOT a flat disk? Sucker. Long term resident of the deep south. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/14 "2012-07-13T22:46:09Z")
I grew up in MA & NH. I’ve never heard anyone outside a TV show or movie say sucker instead of lollipop. Suckers are people! ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/15 "2012-07-13T23:22:50Z")
Did anyone have a separate term for the suckers with gum inside? Or the ones that were made of a drier, powdery candy? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/16 "2012-07-13T23:33:49Z")
Thanks for the input. I thought “sucker” was an old-timey word only used in Bugs Bunny cartoons. I had, AFAIK, never heard it in the wild until I moved to California at about age 23. It also never occurred to me that shape makes a difference. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/17 "2012-07-13T23:46:01Z")
After reading this thread I am unsure…[lollipop in the middle](http://www.stumpsparty.com/graphics/subCatImages/52773/Lollipops-CandyLollipops.jpg) and suckers on the ends? ---
**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:** [July 14, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/18 "2012-07-14T00:15:46Z")
I’ve always liked sucker better. Lollipop seemed so childish, even when I was first learning to talk. > [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > Did anyone have a separate term for the suckers with gum inside? Or the ones that were made of a drier, powdery candy? I call the gum ones Blow Pops, but that’s a registered trademark. I’m not aware of any generic knockoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/19 "2012-07-14T00:24:59Z")
I always say lollipop, but it doesn’t bug me if someone says sucker. 28, born in Texas but moved around a lot as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132/20 "2012-07-14T02:04:33Z")
Lollipop. Raised in New York. A sucker is someone you say “so long!” to, just before the gods smite you for your hubris. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lollipop-or-sucker/628132.md?page=2)