# What do you think of as a "spatula"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 22, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375 "2023-05-22T01:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/1 "2023-05-22T01:01:03Z")
A plat metal device for turning burgers/pancakes? A rubber or flexible metal device for emptying jars/spreading frosting? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/2 "2023-05-22T01:03:54Z")
Both of those. If you just said “hand me a spatula,” I’d probably hand you the flat metal tool. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/3 "2023-05-22T01:06:54Z")
Both of those I would call spatulas, but the default would be the first. The latter would more specifically be “rubber spatulas.” There are also plastic spatulas that work just like the metal ones, but are generally considered safer in non-stick pans. And that type of spatula may or may not have holes. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/4 "2023-05-22T01:07:24Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Both of those. If you just said “hand me a spatula,” I’d probably hand you the flat metal tool. - It would depend on what you’re doing. Pancakes-metal or plastic flipper. Near empty peanut butter jar-silicone scraper. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/5 "2023-05-22T01:10:32Z")
I meant if you said hand me a spatula with no context and both were present. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/6 "2023-05-22T01:13:05Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I meant if you said hand me a spatula with no context and both were present. - Get it yourself, then. 😉 I grew up with both being called a spatula. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/7 "2023-05-22T01:13:45Z")
I’d ask which one or what kind of spatula. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/8 "2023-05-22T01:13:55Z")
I’d say it’s anything sold at… … _Spatula! City!_ > **[UHF (6/12) Movie CLIP - Spatula City Commercial (1989) HD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BUDwj_mXKE%2F)** > > UHF movie clips: http://j.mp/16VmUc5BUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/16TRz9CDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:A low budget... Though Spatula City seems to skew towards the first definition, I thought I saw a couple of flexible ones on the in-store displays as well. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/9 "2023-05-22T01:14:44Z")
@Digs beat me to my Spatula city reference dammit! Both usages are apparently correct for us 'Muricans, but I almost never use a frosting or scraper style spatula, so my default assumption would be a flipper of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/10 "2023-05-22T01:17:43Z")
I agree: both are spatulas, but the flipper is the default. In my opinion, “scraper” is a perfectly fine name for the one that scrapes things, and I call it that, or a spreader, so that there’s no confusion. I’m mildly angry that it’s also called a spatula. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/11 "2023-05-22T01:18:39Z")
Me too, hence my statement “both of those,” in response to the OP. My point is that without context, I’d assume the speaker meant the metal tool. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/12 "2023-05-22T01:20:14Z")
I would call the flipper a pancake turner, and the spreader/scraper a spatula. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2023, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/13 "2023-05-22T01:27:03Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I meant if you said hand me a spatula with no context “Okay kids, let’s go!” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/14 "2023-05-22T01:36:15Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I meant if you said hand me a spatula with no context and both were present. it’d depend on what i saw being done, to decide which type was needed ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/15 "2023-05-22T01:38:00Z")
Both of those, or also a long-bladed short-handled metal thing for flipping cheesesteaks (which is related to the pancake-flipper, but definitely different). Absent context, I’d assume the pancake-flipper, but that’s just because that’s the one that’s used most often. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/16 "2023-05-22T01:39:07Z")
I specifically said with no context, undertaking a cooking activity would be context. My point is that I would assume the metal tool is the default spatula IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/17 "2023-05-22T01:39:19Z")
I was prompted to ask, because I read a blurb that said a baseball team was handing out spatulas to the first 1000 fans. And I thought, “That’s odd”, thinking of the rubber ones. The next line was, “It IS grilling season.” So my tired brain started spinning wondering, “What DO I call the metal burger flipper?” Or is the rubber thing called. something else? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/18 "2023-05-22T01:46:47Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I specifically said with no context, undertaking a cooking activity would be context. noted, but if i’m there to be asked to do such a favor, i will add/guess at context visually regardless. but at any rate my personal hierarchy thinks first of a relatively rigid metal/wood/plastic flipper device, with the flexible rubbery ones a very close second. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/19 "2023-05-22T01:50:58Z")
So in the context of what I read, without the second sentence. You read. that the first 1000 fans will get a spatula. For whatever reason, my mind went rubber. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375/20 "2023-05-22T02:04:26Z")
Are you from the US? In other countries, spatula more often means the rubber type, but I think that in the US, the metal burger/pancake flipper is more likely to be the first thing that people will think of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-as-a-spatula/984375.md?page=2)