# What is the most divisive physical thing that individuals can make? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200 "2024-08-03T17:38:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/41 "2024-08-04T08:01:46Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > E.g. BBQ. Which is just cooking meat on a grill over coals. Nothing to do with sauces, smokers, etc. But they go absolutely ballistic when faced with facts. Is there any doubt that BBQ is a pseudo acronym creted to phonetically match the Spanish word barbacoa? Which, of course, simply means a lot of [different things](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbacoa) to different people in different countries, but in the end always comes back to some variant of a gridiron on top of a fire used for grilling food. Where is the divisiveness in that? The [Berlin Wall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall) was divisive, but it only stood for 28 years. The things you can and particularly can NOT put in a paella can be very divisive in Spain, same for whether you make [tortilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_omelette) with or without onions. Weird, I know, because both are good. > [@ftg](#): > > It’s like arguing with someone who says their Uncle Earl “knew for a fact” that the expression “the whole nine yards” had to do with WWII ammo belts And I always thought the expression came from a particularly nasty form of torture! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/42 "2024-08-04T08:39:41Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > but in the end always comes back to some variant of a gridiron on top of a fire used for grilling food. Where is the divisiveness in that? I think it’s usually that people tend to regard _their variant_ as the only authentic one. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/43 "2024-08-04T09:24:10Z")
^^^ Yeah, barbecue was going to be my answer. There are regions across the American southeast that would almost literally be willing to go to war with one another over assertions of one style’s superiority over another. Vinegar? Mustard? Sauce or dry? Sweet? Smoky? Pork or beef? Chicken, yes or no? And on and on. This to me answers the “most divisive” attribute because it isn’t just an either-or split like ketchup on a hot dog, but a vast patchwork of deadly serious aficionados pooh-poohing anything but their own local preference. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > There are gazillions of pieces of art that some people consider to be the greatest ever made, while others will dismiss them as pure rubbish. My wife and I finally got to see _Hamilton_ live on stage yesterday. Say whatever you want about it having been wildly overexposed and overpraised for a couple of years, or having been a faddish interest for people who wanted to be included in the cool new phenomenon — purely as a live piece of theater, it’s an absolutely amazing experience, just a wall-to-wall blast of performance energy. But the guy behind us was wholly unconvinced. He thought it was one of the worst plays he’d ever seen, and made sure everyone around him knew it. Based on his endless whinging, he considered it worthless because the show looks at history as a clash of personalities instead of having the parties sit down for a sober debate of pure policy, and moreover the use of hiphop stylings to transform dry historical text into urgent and vital drama accessible to a modern audience is evidence, he said, that the people of today are too stupid to engage with plain history on its own terms. He was unrelenting on making these two points, but in the end the only case for which he was entirely persuasive was that he was a total prat. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/44 "2024-08-04T09:52:19Z")
Toilet paper, over or under? Over. End of the (non-)discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/45 "2024-08-04T10:05:24Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > ^^^ Yeah, barbecue was going to be my answer. There are regions across the American southeast that would almost literally be willing to go to war with one another over assertions of one style’s superiority over another. Vinegar? Mustard? Sauce or dry? Sweet? Smoky? Pork or beef? Chicken, yes or no? And on and on. This to me answers the “most divisive” attribute because it isn’t just an either-or split like ketchup on a hot dog, but a vast patchwork of deadly serious aficionados pooh-poohing anything but their own local preference. A very good way to put it. To us Canadians (and I’m sure many Australians), many of whom have _barbecues_ on their back decks or apartment balconies, _barbecuing_ means "grilling up hamburgers, steaks, shrimp, and/or hot dogs. The southern American purist who tells us that we’re not _barbecuing_, but we’re instead _grilling_, will likely be met with a “STFU; I’m barbecuing” at best. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/46 "2024-08-04T11:33:27Z")
Yeah, in the UK, barbecue typically refers to the apparatus - which is usually open bars over a charcoal fire. I’d say most people are also aware of BBQ as a term for various sauces, marinades and coatings but i dont think anyone cares enough to fight about it. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/47 "2024-08-04T11:59:13Z")
> [@Moonrise](#): > > Toilet paper, over or under? > > Over. End of the (non-)discussion. Under 😜. Why? Under makes it easier to tear off a piece with one hand. With over I find myself having to reach across with my other hand. ETA. Then there are those infernal devices that one tends to find in public restrooms. The ones where the axis of the TP roll is perpendicular rather than parallel to the wall. Those are wrong in both orientations. At least over vs. under has a correct answer. With front or back they’re both wrong. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/48 "2024-08-04T12:04:33Z")
When I prepare a chicken, I begin by rinsing it in my sink. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/49 "2024-08-04T12:42:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > A Fence? this is great not only because it is the obvious literal answer to the question (and the context which I assume you intended) but also because you can never build a fence, like most of the rest of the answers in this thread, without everyone else who is not building it telling you how you are doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/50 "2024-08-04T13:55:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I prepare a chicken, I begin by rinsing it in my sink. There are people that _don’t_!? Why? ---
**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:** [August 4, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/51 "2024-08-04T13:59:10Z")
It’s the most horrible thing you can do, contaminating your sink and counters with bacteria, I’ve been told. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/52 "2024-08-04T14:01:05Z")
Bizarre. Those people have never heard of soap I gather. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/53 "2024-08-04T14:07:47Z")
Maybe try to understand rather than making unwarranted or unkind assumptions? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/90Nd_vh3yk8/maxresdefault.jpg "Why people wash meat (or don't)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Nd_vh3yk8) ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/54 "2024-08-04T14:08:55Z")
Half-and-half football scarves. 99% of football fans think they are an abomination but somebody must be buying them. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/55 "2024-08-04T14:17:52Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > In Germany, I think the biggest culinary division is ketchup or mayo on fries (chips). But there are also many perverts or moderates, respectively, who order Fritten rot-weiß (fries red-white, ketchup _and_ mayo). We like to be called conoisseurs, thank you very much. What about pouring milk before the tea? ---
**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:** [August 4, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/56 "2024-08-04T14:42:41Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Maybe try to understand rather than making unwarranted or unkind assumptions? Yep, seen the video and other similar ones. Yet I continue to rinse. It’s automatic and makes me happy. ETA: fits the thread title! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/57 "2024-08-04T15:04:14Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > Chilli. Meat, no meat, beans, no beans, chocolate(!). I like mine with beans and meat, no chocolate, thanks. But I’m not super invested in whether or not that is properly called “chilli.” Chilli is the one for me. I once joked that if I followed every “X NeVeR GoEs in ChIlLi!” rule, I’d be simmering a pot of air. And then someone would tell me, “Everyone knows _ **real** _ chilli is cooked under a vacuum!” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/58 "2024-08-04T15:07:31Z")
This is meant to be a thread for discussing divisive things, not _promoting division_ ---
**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:** [August 4, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/59 "2024-08-04T15:13:51Z")
I’ve _heard_ of people washing their chicken before cooking, but I’ve never seen it. To me, it seems like a bizarre thing to do. Do y’all wash any other meats? I certainly don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200/60 "2024-08-04T15:20:26Z")
Its a domain where practices are quite tightly bound within cultures and as a result, seems to catch a lot of people (on both sides) completely by surprise,and that surprise seems to be incredibly fertile ground for the impression ‘oh, well there’s something wrong with you’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-divisive-physical-thing-that-individuals-can-make/1005200.md?page=4)