Cat Census notes · 2 min read
Is a hot dog a sandwich? Where people actually stand
It's bread around a filling. It's also obviously not a sandwich. Both of these are true to someone at your table.
01The numbers
In a YouGov food poll, 38% of people said a hot dog is a sandwich. That's not a fringe view. That's more than a third of everyone you know.
02The case for yes
A sandwich is a filling held in bread. A hot dog bun is bread and the hot dog is a filling. Merriam-Webster said as much in 2016, which annoyed a lot of people. The yes camp also points out that a sub roll is often hinged and nobody argues about that.
03The case for no
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, which you would think has the final word, said no in 2015. A hot dog has its own bun, its own toppings and its own culture. Nobody walks into a ballpark asking for a sandwich. The no camp argues that the definition misses how people actually talk, and language is how people actually talk.
04Why it never ends
Category fights stick around because nobody can lose them. Each side is right by its own rules. Food is just the most fun place to have the argument, along with cereal being a soup and pineapple on pizza.
05Cast your vote
It's question three in Cat Census. Pick a side and watch a crowd of cats split with you. The first 25 questions are free.
Cat Census
Answer questions about yourself and watch a crowd of cats take sides. One of them is picking you.