# So, apparently they're not called "King Dons" anymore... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355 "2007-01-10T01:30:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/1 "2007-01-10T01:30:46Z")
I did not know that [King Dons](http://theimaginaryworld.com/ikk30.jpg) are now called Ding Dongs. I just thought people [del]were stupid[/del] never pronounced the name correctly. I haven’t eaten them since junior high school (1982), which would explain my lack of “vogue”, but unfortunately I got into a debate with someone over what is the real name of these things, and we’re both right (sez me), but he’s more right than me…dang… ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/2 "2007-01-10T01:39:29Z")
Apparently republicanism has spread to the snack cake industry. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/3 "2007-01-10T02:05:21Z")
You are both right, sorta. They were always Ding Dongs in my part of the world, but were King Dons in the eastern U.S. Hostess consolidated the naming several years ago: [http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp](http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/4 "2007-01-10T02:05:42Z")
> [@](#): > > What is the difference between a Ding Dong and a King Don? > > When Hostess introduced Ding Dongs® in 1967, the advertising campaign included a ringing bell: hence the name Ding Dongs. However, in the eastern United States, Hostess opted to package the cakes as King Dons to avoid confusion with a competitor’s product. Hostess consolidated the King Don and Ding Dong name in 1987, packaging the cakes as Ding Dongs in all regions. Six months later, Hostess decided to go back to using the King Don name in the eastern U.S., again, to avoid confusion with a competing product. But, today the issue has been put to rest and only Ding Dongs are sold nationwide. from [http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp](http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/5 "2007-01-10T02:11:28Z")
And, interestingly, Hostess only says on their trademark application, that they started using “King Dons” in 1972. It may have taken that long for someone to complain. Not that the name “Ding Dongs” was trademarked before Hostess in 1967. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/6 "2007-01-10T02:18:00Z")
[QUOTE=rackensack] You are both right, sorta. They were always Ding Dongs in my part of the world, but were King Dons in the eastern U.S. Hostess consolidated the naming several years ago: [http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp](http://www.twinkies.com/faq.asp) [/QUOTE] I remember one night in High School (in the early '80s) when we were supposed to be at the library but we went cruising for King Dons specifically- not Ding Dongs, mind you- until we found them. This was what passed for geek entertainment in Western, NY. It was kinda fun, actually. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/7 "2007-01-10T02:18:17Z")
_Hostess Ding Dongs! It’s a cake! It’s a candy! It’s two taste treats in one!_ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/8 "2007-01-10T03:11:39Z")
Never growing up hearing “King Dons,” I always have a vision of a boxing promoter with incredible hair when you use that phrase. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/9 "2007-01-10T03:21:24Z")
Very odd. What’s the definition of “Eastern US”? I grew and lived in New York, and they were always “Ding Dongs” (though I usually got Drake’s Wing Dings). ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/10 "2007-01-10T03:27:41Z")
Hmm, I’d _never_ heard of King Dons until this thread. Wonder what the definition of “east” is. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/11 "2007-01-10T03:28:58Z")
I grew up in central NJ, Hostess were King Dons and Drake’s were Ring Dings. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/12 "2007-01-10T04:49:16Z")
Ding Dongs up here in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/13 "2007-01-10T17:18:13Z")
[QUOTE=psycat90] I grew up in central NJ, Hostess were King Dons and Drake’s were Ring Dings. [/QUOTE] That’s weird. I grew up in Central NJ too, and they were Ding Dongs. Never heard of King Dons. (my mom also liked to call me a ding dong when i did something dumb.) ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/14 "2007-01-10T17:53:44Z")
I can’t seem to find Ding Dongs anymore. The grocery stores near me have Twinkies, Cupcakes, Ho Hos and Zingers, but no Ding Dongs. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/15 "2007-01-10T19:22:11Z")
I’m originally from Central Ohio. And I only remember King Dons. But I’m wondering if maybe there was _also_ something called Ding Dongs that could be gotten (the same type of cake but made by a different company- is that what we’re talking about?), and maybe they just didn’t happen to sell them at my school. No Hostess product ever came through the front door of my house growing up. My parents didn’t go for that stuff. So I got my only “exposure” at school. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/16 "2007-01-10T19:24:36Z")
[QUOTE=meow meow] That’s weird. I grew up in Central NJ too, and they were Ding Dongs. Never heard of King Dons. [/QUOTE] Same here, though I had a much bigger love for Devil Dogs. ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/17 "2007-01-10T19:30:46Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] Same here, though I had a much bigger love for Devil Dogs. [/QUOTE] Me TOO. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/18 "2007-01-10T20:29:27Z")
No, this is weird. In Canada, I swear, they used to be Ding Dongs, and now they’re King Dons. I don’t eat them, but my husbanddoes. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/19 "2007-01-10T20:32:22Z")
If a boxing promoter with royalist pretensions was also an idiot, would he be a King Don Ding Dong? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355/20 "2007-01-10T21:01:54Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] Same here, though I had a much bigger love for Devil Dogs. [/QUOTE] More than Marcia? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-apparently-theyre-not-called-king-dons-anymore/387355.md?page=2)