A Word Please

You Wouldn't Confuse This....

I thought we put this debate behind us last year. The whole “is a hot dog a sandwich” hullabaloo, which, kinda like pumpkin spice in autumn, got waaaayyyy too much coverage. This year, with new hot dogs being introduced and fast food chain hot dog wars about to go nuclear, I suppose we should revisit the issue.

For This

In 2015 I was asked on various TV and radio programs if the hot dog is indeed a sandwich. I often used the Webster’s Dictionary answer that states:  two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between. Sounds like a hot dog to me. And that is my final say on the matter. A hot dog is a sandwich.

So Why Would You Confuse This....

So why not just call it a sandwich? One word: respect. Sometimes variations of a generic object are so unique and special that they deserve their own moniker. Hot dogs are so woven into the fabric of Americana that they truly deserve to be called their own thing.

It happens all the time. Take aircraft for example. A Boeing 737 is an airplane. So is a Boeing-made F-18 Hornet. Yet, while both are airplanes one is an airliner and the other a fighter. Ask any enemy MiG pilot if having a 737 on your six o’clock is the same as having a Hornet in the rearview mirror.

For This

So while you can call a hot dog a sandwich, if you try to call it one at the ballpark and happen to be sitting next to me, I will slap you. Respect for the quintessential American dish please.