Yeah, why are these called sandwiches?

Why is a sandwich called a sandwich?

Sandwiches have probably been around since bread was invented, which was at least 14,000 years ago and maybe much farther back.

I mean, it doesn't exactly take a genius to put some meat or cheese in between two slices of bread, right?

But the name sandwich is much younger.

This one's a little bit of what we call an apocryphal story, meaning something that can't really be verified as true and might be just kinda more fun than actual fact.

But I looked it up in the Encyclopedia Britannica, so we're gonna go with what they say.

There's a place in England called Sandwich.

That is a fact.

And historically, and technically still today, there was an Earl of Sandwich.

These days, that's pretty much just a fancy title, but back in the day, an earl was kind of like a governor.

He, and it was always a he, would act as a representative of the king, and he was an important part of the British government.

Anyway, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, back in the 1700s, really liked eating meals that included some meat and other things stuffed between two slices of bread.

The story goes that he didn't wanna have to take a break from his gambling to eat a more complicated meal, so he wanted something he could hold and eat while doing other things, which is one of the best things about a sandwich, of course.

I mean, not for me.

I think the mayo and mustard are the best parts of a sandwich.

Don't come at me.

But a lot of people already knew that a sandwich was a handy multitasking snack.

Most of those people had to do things like actually work.

The Earl of Sandwich was a rich guy who had people to make and serve and clean up his meals, so theoretically, he didn't have to eat this peasant food.

But he liked it!

And people started hearing about this fancy guy with the lowbrow food habits, and they started referring to these bread packets like, "Hey, give me that thing that Sandwich likes," or, "I want what Sandwich is having."

And voila, the sandwich was named.

But here's something that' very much still up for debate.

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

What about a burrito?

Massachusetts actually has a statute that says a sandwich must include two slices of bread, but a court in Indiana ruled that a burrito can be called a sandwich.

And if you look up New York tax law, a sandwich can be, quote, "made on bread, on bagels, on rolls, in pitas, in wraps, or otherwise, and regardless of the filling or number of layers.

A sandwich can be as simple as a buttered bagel or roll, or as elaborate as a six-foot toasted submarine sandwich," end quote.

So I guess when it comes to taxes, there's no room for debate.

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