Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?

[ket_the_jet]

...and where do you stand on the Sandwich Alignment Chart?



If a Hot Dog is a sandwich, is cereal a soup?!
-wtk

[Phallen Cassidy]

I am of the opinion that "sandwich" has two meanings: one of them a category of foods, the other a subcategory within that larger category. I'd call the category "Sandwich" structure neutral, and the subcategory "sandwich" structure purist. Similar to Canis lupus lupus or Rattus rattus, where the same word is used for both species/subspecies or genus/species, respectively.

As far as ingredients are concerned: go wild. Ingredient Rebel all the way. In casual conversation, if I mention sandwich I almost always mean the subcategory, so "Structural Purist, Ingredient Rebel." But I'm comfortable calling a sub (or a hotdog, or an ice cream taco) a Sandwich in the broadest sense.

The entire Structure Rebel row is incoherent to me, but RADICAL SANDWICH ANARCHY would be a good band name.

For real though, how would RADICAL SANDWICH ANARCHY work?
"what'd you have for breakfast?"
"a sandwich"
"nice, what kind?"
"wildberry"

[Wyrden333]

 

[ket_the_jet]

Okay, so if you take a bite of pizza and the toppings fall off, so you place them back on the crust and fold it in half, do you have a pizza-sub-sandwich?
-wtk

[Phallen Cassidy]

I have a new, bold opinion on the matter: orientation matters. A hotdog is not a sandwich because the bread is not typically above and below the contents. Likewise, a taco is not a sandwich. Subs are still "sandwiches" in the broadest sense.

I'd say you have a pizza-sub-sandwich, sure; the category is correct, but meaningless. If you eat all the edges off a calzone, for example, I'd say it's true that you now have a sandwich. More meaningfully, however, you have a partially-eaten calzone. I'm not ready for cereal/soup yet. I'll get back to you.

[MR. Lurtzy]

Hot dogs could certainly be a meat on a sandwich, but a hot dog bun does not adequately fit the bread part of the description in my opinion. I don't necessarily agree with the chart above, either, as for me a sub is clearly a sandwich, not structurally neutral.

[menace64]

It might be easier to define what isn't a sandwich first.

[Durin's Heir]

And then you have to consider that the observer alters the observed.

[Legion]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with Phallen. Orientation does matter.

My view is that the 'bread' does not need to be cut in two parts, but it shouldn't be an issue if it is. So you can have coronation chicken in a bread roll that isn't cut all the way through (either due to laziness, or to avoid making a mess), but if you were to separate the roll into its top and bottom, it wouldn't really be any different. Thus, I consider the first four (reading from the top) to be sandwiches, and hot dog on to not be.

Though I'm not sure if I really consider a burger to be a sandwich. May have to think a little more about that

[JamesCB]

A hot dog is not, was never, and will never be, a sandwich. Saying that is tantamount to sacrilege.

[Phallen Cassidy]

A hot dog is not, was never, and will never be, a sandwich. Saying that is tantamount to sacrilege.

Prove it!

[JamesCB]

The sandwich was invented by the Earl of Sandwich, Edward Montagu. He asked for roast mutton and vegetables between two slices of bread. A hot dog bun is not two slices, in fact, it not even a slice!

[JamesCB]

I looked up the definition of cereal and soup, and found this:

Cereal: A breakfast food made from roasted grain, typically eaten with milk.
Soup: A liquid dish, typically made by boiling meat, fish, or vegetables, etc., in stock or water.

Since I have no idea what stock means (in the soup definition), I looked that up as well: liquid made by cooking bones, meat, fish, or vegetables slowly in water, used as a basis for the preparation of soup, gravy, or sauces.

I think we can agree that a cereal is not a soup.

[Phallen Cassidy]

The sandwich was invented by the Earl of Sandwich, Edward Montagu. He asked for roast mutton and vegetables between two slices of bread. A hot dog bun is not two slices, in fact, it not even a slice!

So then you agree that a sub isn't a sandwich? That's the hard thing to explain if orientation doesn't matter and a hotdog isn't a sandwich.

I looked up the definition of cereal and soup, and found this:

Cereal: A breakfast food made from roasted grain, typically eaten with milk.
Soup: A liquid dish, typically made by boiling meat, fish, or vegetables, etc., in stock or water.

I think your definitions betray you since they say what are usually ingredients, not what can't be ingredients. Milk is very often an ingredient in soups too. If Cookie Crisps can be a breakfast cereal, why not potatoes? Or if Rice Crispies + strawberries is fine, what's wrong with rice and veggies? I'm not sold myself, but the question really forces you to question the norms of how we categorize things.

[JamesCB]

I would say that a sub is not a sandwich. I consider myself a structural purist, ingredient rebel.