# 'Pizza Pie' Is NOT Redundant! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2016, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177 "2016-09-06T10:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/61 "2016-09-07T16:37:15Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > True–and in my area, pie are squared. You get around, I see. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/62 "2016-09-07T16:39:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That doesn’t match the way I use the word/have heard it used. > > **A** hamburger is the sandwich. (“I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”) Hamburger (without the article) is ground beef (the meat, as in “Hamburger Helper”). I’ve never heard a hamburger patty called anything but a hamburger patty. (As opposed to a “hot dog,” which can refer to just the meat or to the meat+bun.) I know a lot of people who use _hamburger_ to always refer to the sandwich. Ground beef is _Hamburg_ to them. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/63 "2016-09-07T16:50:03Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > **“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…”** > > From the song “That’s Amore,” a big hit in 1953 for Dean Martin. Martin, who presumably knew a thing or two about Italian heritage, didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Not a lot of words rhyme with “pizza”. I suppose there’s always: “When the moon is so nice like a big pizza slice…” I dunno, it doesn’t have the same ring to it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/64 "2016-09-07T18:07:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Not a lot of words rhyme with “pizza”. I suppose there’s always: > > “When the moon is so nice like a big pizza slice…” > > I dunno, it doesn’t have the same ring to it. 😉 Hmm. “When the moon looks so neat like that pizza you eat…” "When the moon is held dear just like pizza and beer… Okay, okay, I won’t give up my day job. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/65 "2016-09-07T23:05:03Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > “Pie” does not mean round. Lots of different kinds of pies are rectangular. name 3.14 of them ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/66 "2016-09-07T23:34:14Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > “Pizza” already means “pie” in Italian “Pie” in Italian appears to be “torta”. And, while the etymology of “pizza” is uncertain, none of the theorized roots overlap with the roots of “pie”. So, basically, no. On top of that, the history of pizza as a dish would seem to go: focaccia -\> focaccia with cheese and vegetables on top -\> pizza At no point was it ever a pie, tart, nor casserole. It was always a flat bread with toppings. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/67 "2016-09-08T00:05:23Z")
I recently noticed that a new business opened in a strip mall that I pass fairly frequently - (something something) Pie. Cool, I thought, maybe it’s like [http://www.thepieholela.com](http://www.thepieholela.com) only closer to my house! Yum, pie! Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it’s a pizza place. I wanted pie. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/68 "2016-09-08T00:26:42Z")
“Pizza pie” is what people called it back in the 1960s when pizza was an exotic new type of food for the adventurous. The “pie” part was to domesticate it and familiarize it to people who didn’t understand it. Just like old-school east coast Italian Americans with their Sunday Gravy. They called it gravy so it wouldn’t seem as weird to the other Americans. Heyyyy, it’s just gravy and noodles, that’s normal, right? ---
**Author:** ![Cyberpope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Cyberpope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberpope)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/69 "2017-07-17T16:33:23Z")
[ol] [li]Pizza Pie[/li][/ol] > [@jz78817](#): > > “When you wade through a creek, and an eel bites your cheek, that’s a moray!” > > tuna fish. ice hockey, in Canada (also in Boston) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/70 "2017-07-17T19:19:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, if you want to get pretentious hipster wanker, than maybe “za” is more the word you’re looking for. I only use that word in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in certain local dialects it’s completely unremarkable . “Za” is allowed in Scrabble now, although I have encountered at least one household that has chosen to not use it on principle. My least favorite redundancies are “personal favorite” and “added bonus”. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/71 "2017-07-17T22:38:11Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > My least favorite redundancies are “personal favorite” and “added bonus”. I’ll add “Free Gift” and “Referring back.” And “pizza pie” to me sounds dated, something one might have heard emanating from a 1950’s “television set.” ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/72 "2017-07-17T22:44:30Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > “Za” is allowed in Scrabble now, While it is relatively recent, it was added a good while ago, back in 2006, along with “QI,” as far as two-letter words are concerned. I do remember playing with “QI” back in the late 90s/early 00s with British friends, as it was in _their_ official scrabble dictionary (but not in ours back then.) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/73 "2017-07-17T22:52:51Z")
Oops - never mind ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/74 "2017-07-17T23:01:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > While it is relatively recent, it was added a good while ago, back in 2006, along with “QI,” as far as two-letter words are concerned. I do remember playing with “QI” back in the late 90s/early 00s with British friends, as it was in _their_ official scrabble dictionary (but not in ours back then.) I’m still rooting for “ew”. If “ow” is allowed, “ew” should be!! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/75 "2017-07-18T03:38:59Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Pizza’s not even always pie shaped. Is square pizza still “pizza pie”? You mean to say some πR[sup]2[/sup] ? ---
**Author:** ![originaljbw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/73ab20/32.png) [@originaljbw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/originaljbw)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/76 "2017-07-18T04:27:02Z")
To me, the only person who says pizza pie is also the person who calls every shape of noodle a macaroni and every kind of sauce a gravy. I mean I get it, back in prehistoric times people didn’t know what a pizza was wouldn’t be surprised by a pizza pie being flat, roundand cut into wedges sort of like a traditional dessert pie. What drives me bananas is every person in greater cleveland calling everything a flatbread. I get that something on a pre-baked piece of bread is a flatbread, but freshly rolled dough is a pizza. Nobody gets that here. I also feel sushi in general is going through that sort of weird American nomenclature battle. People ask for it sushi style when (depending on which flyover state they coms from) they think they are asking for sashimi, night, temaki, or uramaki. Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk ---
**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:** [July 19, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/77 "2017-07-19T00:26:16Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I’ll add “Free Gift” and “Referring back.” > > And “pizza pie” to me sounds dated, something one might have heard emanating from a 1950’s “television set.” I’ll give you guys added bonus, which is really just emphasis most of the time. But a personal favorite is a favorite unique to you and not a widespread or collective favorite. A free gift is gift you get for being a customer, rather than a gift because you’re friends. And referring back is a name for referencing something recently said, rather than to something else. A television set is also different from a television. A television set is standalone furniture. But that may just be because the style of TVs changed. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/78 "2017-07-19T05:52:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’ll give you guys added bonus, which is really just emphasis most of the time. But a personal favorite is a favorite unique to you and not a widespread or collective favorite. A free gift is gift you get for being a customer, rather than a gift because you’re friends. And referring back is a name for referencing something recently said, rather than to something else. > > A television set is also different from a television. A television set is standalone furniture. But that may just be because the style of TVs changed. Oh. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/79 "2017-07-19T15:45:15Z")
The relevant question, as I see it, is whether “pizza” is _always_ a pie-like thing, of whatever shape. Is there “pizza loaf” or “pizza soup”? Calling it “pizza pie” makes it sound like pizza is just the filling, like “apple pie”. In other words, “pizza” is not just an ingredient; it’s the whole item. To continue the extra redundancy, I find it irritating when a recipe says to “add in \”. “Stir it in”, fine, but why not just “add” something? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177/80 "2017-07-19T16:40:09Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > A television set is also different from a television. A television set is standalone furniture. But that may just be because the style of TVs changed. No. A television set is a set of televisions. Meaning you need at least two televisions so that you have a set of them. Every single television is a television no matter what form it comes in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-pie-is-not-redundant/765177.md?page=5)