Sandy Supposes....

Sandwich in this blog response...

PROMPT: Talk Tuesday! Do you consider hot dogs to be in the "sandwich" category? What about tacos, wraps, or foods served in pita bread? And what, in your opinion, makes a really good sandwich? Are you a simple bread/meat/cheese person, or do you go all out when creating your sandwich feast?

          Food fight? Or more specifically, food name fight... This pressing issue has never kept me awake at night. I accept that there are those who prefer their food stuffs to have proper names, but I'm not one of these people. Meh, is a hot dog a sandwich? Is a hamburger a sandwich? I'm not sure. In my mind, a sandwich is composed of some type of bread cut into slices, thick or thin, there has to be slices. Frankfurters and burgers usually are served within buns. Yes, there is a difference. One could argue that a roll, a bun, and bread are the same. I will allow that they are similar, yet there exists a subtle variance. Er, a sandwich is more horizontal, more spread out than the aforementioned foods. Sandwiches traditionally have tiers, or layers built upon a foundation of bread. Hot dogs, tacos, wraps, and pitas are rolled. I do not think of them as sandwiches now that I am being asked to choose.

         Crazy English permits the word sandwich to be employed as more than something ordered from a lunch menu. Layering sheets, blankets, quilts, or comforters on a bed is known as sandwiching. Inserting something between other items is known as sandwiching. A bookmark for instance may be said to be sandwiched between the pages of a book. People squish together, say on a sports bleacher, and that's seen as sandwiching. Oddly, sandwich makers, of the edible type of sandwich, are not described as 'sandwichers', or those perfecting the art of 'sandwiching'. No one refers to these activities as 'taco-ing', or 'pita-ing'. Oh, how do new citizens learn to speak English when they are taught that scarves are wrapped, wounds are wrapped, gifts are wrapped, cars are sometimes wrapped around poles and guard rails, and a shawl, a piece of clothing, is named a wrap? Yep, I digress... my mind is still whizzing from yesterday's prompt...

          My sandwich tastes are many. A hearty restaurant- meal favourite is the clubhouse. It has three delectable layers of bacon, turkey, tomatoes, and lettuce. A less substantial version of this is the B.L.T., with a single layer of bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. Years ago, when my eldest was about five-years old, she overheard my uncle refer to one of his well-endowed female friends as "BT". She was curious and asked what that meant. Trying to be quick and avoid a discussion about 'big tits' and the sexist name, I explained that the woman was nicknamed "BT", "Bacon Tomato" without the lettuce. My daughter did screw up her face and shrug, but she seemed to accept this.

         My British mother-in-law made a unique sandwich. First she would butter two slices of white bread. Over one slice, she spread salt and vinegar potato chips. She squirted ketchup over the chips, and then topped it all with the second bread slice. It never appealed to me. Her youngest son, my brother-in-law, combines spreadable cheese, jam, tuna, and relish on white bread. He insists upon dipping this atrocity in milk. My hubby's favourite 'sammy' is mashed bananas sprinkled with white sugar. Blech!

         I like Reubens which are a mix of mustard, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and corned beef on rye bread. Sometimes, I prefer to create a western sandwich which is eggs, ham, and onions. Once in a blue moon, I opt for good ol' p.b., but without the 'j'. Yuck, jam is not to my liking. Oh wait, 'jam' is another of those all-purpose English words... I like almost anything 'jammed' into my sandwich except 'jam'.