# What do you call the candy bits that go on ice cream? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2018, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789 "2018-09-05T09:11:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/1 "2018-09-05T09:11:25Z")
Growing up, I always called them jimmies, because that’s what my dad, who was born and raised in Boston, called them. I only realized that wasn’t a term everyone knew about recently, when I said it to a co-worker and they had no idea what I meant. After looking it up online, I found out that what I’d always called them was a regional peculiarity I’d picked up even though I never lived in the region it’s used in, and that there are several other terms used for them as well. So; what do _you_ call them? ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/2 "2018-09-05T09:48:29Z")
hundreds-and-thousands ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/3 "2018-09-05T10:31:23Z")
Second vote for hundreds-and-thousands. j ---
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/4 "2018-09-05T10:44:35Z")
Sprinkles. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/5 "2018-09-05T10:45:02Z")
I’d say sprinkles, but I’d recognise hundreds-and-thousands. Sprinkles is more inclusive, because hundreds-and-thousands are rainbow coloured, but sprinkles can be chocolate (mmmmm) or single-colour ---
**Author:** ![NathanielA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/dfb087/32.png) [@NathanielA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NathanielA)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/6 "2018-09-05T11:02:39Z")
## I’ve always heard them called “sprinkles” and having visited “Fosselmans” (local ice cream producer and “ice cream counter” place) in South Pasadena, CA… where I spent my youth… many times more than my waistline should have dictated… that was my “sphere of influence” on this word. Posted by “Nat” a self-assuming know-it-all on ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/7 "2018-09-05T11:07:02Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > but sprinkles can be chocolate (mmmmm) or single-colour Aren’t sprinkles like tiny little sticks, whereas hundreds-and-thousands are tiny little balls? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/8 "2018-09-05T11:14:15Z")
This is tricky - I would call the things on ice cream (or a Dutch bread snack) sprinkles, but those are not the same shape as hundreds-and-thousands/nonpareils, as **blob** points out. But the poll choices seem to indicate the OP considers them the same. Although I suppose you could get the latter on ice cream as well.Still, I voted _sprinkles_. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/9 "2018-09-05T11:16:49Z")
Sprinkles are multicolored. Jimmies are chocolate. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/10 "2018-09-05T11:20:46Z")
> [@blob](#): > > Aren’t sprinkles like tiny little sticks, whereas hundreds-and-thousands are tiny little balls? > [@DrFidelius](#): > > Sprinkles are multicolored. > Jimmies are chocolate. I grew up in the SF Bay Area. Sprinkles was a catch-all term. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/11 "2018-09-05T11:22:23Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Sprinkles are multicolored. > Jimmies are chocolate. Rainbow jimmies and chocolate jimmies are what I’d call them. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/12 "2018-09-05T11:45:27Z")
Sprinkles but recognize jimmies. Never heard hundreds and thoisands. To me, nonpareils are the disks with sprinkles, [Nonpareils - OldTimeCandy.com](https://www.oldtimecandy.com/collections/walk-the-candy-aisle-nonpareils) , but I realize that’s the name of the round sprinkles on the disks. Sounds like h&ts and nonpareils are round? Sprinkles and jimmies are roughly cylindrical? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/13 "2018-09-05T11:50:37Z")
_tropezones_, the thing against which you trip; generic name used in Spanish-from-Spain for “any solid item added to a liquid or creamy food which would be complete without it, such as croutons to consommé”. From the verb _tropezar_, to trip on something (walking, not drugs!). I’ve encountered “sprinkles” as the name for the little colored bars, but not as a generic name. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/14 "2018-09-05T11:55:57Z")
Jimmies or sprinkles, with jimmies rustling ahead by a nose. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/15 "2018-09-05T12:01:24Z")
hundreds and thousands, but I’m British and that is the overwhelmingly popular name for them here. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/16 "2018-09-05T12:04:27Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Sounds like h&ts and nonpareils are round? Sprinkles and jimmies are roughly cylindrical? That’s what I thought and the supermarket here seems to think the same, they’ve even got the coloured sprinkles (cylindrical) the same as the hundreds-and-thousands (round) [https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/everything/search/sprinkles?pageNumber=1](https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/everything/search/sprinkles?pageNumber=1) ---
**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:** [September 5, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/17 "2018-09-05T12:11:33Z")
“Sprinkles” it is. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of “jimmies” or “hundreds-and-thousands.” I’ve seen the word “nonpareils” on packages, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anybody say it—ooh, an example for [this thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=861660)! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/18 "2018-09-05T12:14:51Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Sprinkles are multicolored. > Jimmies are chocolate. This is how I use the terms, too. SE Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/19 "2018-09-05T12:17:38Z")
Sprinkles, generally. Although, when I was a kid, I was in line behind someone who called them “shots.” I’ll use that term from time to time. My uncle liked to say, “Boy, that’s a lot of dead mosquitoes on your ice cream.” I suppose, given the popularity of _Rick and Morty_, we could start asking for “Extra ant mix-ins. Thank you very much, Summer” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789/20 "2018-09-05T12:25:57Z")
Sprinkles. I’ve only seen the term “jimmies” on this board, and I don’t recall if I’ve heard nonpareil to refer to sprinkles, and this is definitely the first time I’ve heard of “hundreds and thousands”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-candy-bits-that-go-on-ice-cream/820789.md?page=2)