# Why did Pringle's drop the apostrophe?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919 "2015-01-15T19:20:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ScatteredFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@ScatteredFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScatteredFrog)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/1 "2015-01-15T19:20:58Z")
I guess the title says it all. I mean, going from possessive to plural completely changes the meaning. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/2 "2015-01-15T19:25:37Z")
The chips themselves are called Pringles so one of them is a Pringle. They aren’t meant to be chips owned by or made by someone names Pringle. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/3 "2015-01-15T19:27:03Z")
According to Wikipedia, there never was an apostrophe. > **[Pringles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pringles)** > > Pringles is an American brand of stackable potato-based chips invented by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1968 and marketed as "Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips". The brand was sold in 2012 to Kellogg's. > As of 2011, Pringles were sold in more than 140 countries. In 2012, Pringles were the fourth most popular snack brand after Lay's, Doritos and Cheetos (all manufactured by Frito-Lay), with 2.2% market share globally. > In 1956, Procter & Gamble assigned a task to chemist Fredric J. Baur (1918–2008... ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/4 "2015-01-15T19:56:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > According to Wikipedia, there never was an apostrophe. > > [Pringles - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pringles) I’ve never heard of Pringles having an apostrophe, either, but [here’s an image](http://www.puppiesandflowers.com/blogimages/jun2008/pringlesCan.jpg) with one. (Though I cannot confirm that that is original packaging.) ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/5 "2015-01-15T19:57:59Z")
On further research, according to [Wikia](http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Pringles), the apostrophe was in the logo from 1967-1986. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/6 "2015-01-15T20:02:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > On further research, according to [Wikia](http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Pringles), the apostrophe was in the logo from 1967-1986. Nice find. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/7 "2015-01-15T20:10:25Z")
As for why, I just assume some sort of linguistic drift, with the chips becoming known as Pringles themselves, so might as well have the logo and name reflect the colloquial usage. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/8 "2015-01-15T20:12:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > On further research, according to [Wikia](http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Pringles), the apostrophe was in the logo from 1967-1986. Well, okay, but we have _still_ always been at war with Eastasia. :mad: ---
**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 15, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/9 "2015-01-15T20:19:01Z")
It was simply a design decision. Removing the apostrophe makes for a “cleaner” logo, ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/10 "2015-01-15T21:06:22Z")
Like Tim Hortons, I kind of wondered if it was to avoid dual labeling in French for Canada. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/11 "2015-01-15T21:14:27Z")
More importantly, what are Pringles? I’ve never seen a potato chip with that texture. Are they made from a mashed potato paste or something? They aren’t the normal sliced and cooked chip. I’ve bought them. Its been 10 years or more ago. Ruffles are so much better. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/12 "2015-01-15T21:17:42Z")
They are no longer called potato chips, they are potato **crisps** , basically mushed up potato dough. I’m guessing that’s also when they dropped the apostrophe. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/13 "2015-01-15T21:20:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > More importantly, what are Pringles? I’ve never seen a potato chip with that texture. Are they made from a mashed potato paste or something? They aren’t the normal sliced and cooked chip They are made from a slurry of potato and other grains that are pressed into shape. A single Pringle is 42% potato, according to the Wikipedia article. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/14 "2015-01-15T21:20:06Z")
I have been told that the name comes from a Pringle street in Cincinnati. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/15 "2015-01-15T21:40:25Z")
I want to know when Dr Pepper dropped the period. (42% potato. Dear god in 'eaven.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/16 "2015-01-15T21:48:47Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I want to know when Dr Pepper dropped the period. > > (42% potato. Dear god in 'eaven.) I suspected that was the case 25 years ago. We didn’t have wikipedia to confirm it back then. Thats one of the reasons we rarely bought Pringles. They don’t fill you up. Its too easy to eat and eat. Too many empty calories and salt. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/17 "2015-01-15T22:12:59Z")
Just think of the savings in printing labels. Multiplied by a billion labels you are saving nontrivial money. Brian ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/18 "2015-01-15T22:23:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I suspected that was the case 25 years ago. We didn’t have wikipedia to confirm it back then. Thats one of the reasons we rarely bought Pringles. They don’t fill you up. Its too easy to eat and eat. Too many empty calories and salt. That’s pretty much any snack food, though. It doesn’t really much matter that it’s not all potato. That wouldn’t make it particularly healthier or anything. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/19 "2015-01-15T22:57:55Z")
When Mr. Pringle died, his possessions, namely the chips, ceased to be bogarted by Mr. Pringle, and then it just became a proper noun for a certain kind of food chip. ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919/20 "2015-01-15T23:48:46Z")
How they make Pringles: (From Discovery - How it's Made) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-pringles-drop-the-apostrophe/709919.md?page=2)