Ask Lemmy

A hot dog is a taco. See: https://cuberule.com/

After a lengthy (around 4 hours) discussion among our roommates, we came along with a common definition of what is commonly referred to as a “sandwich”: 

- Article 1: A sandwich is a dish consisting of a container and a filling. 

- 1.1: The container must consist of one or two connected parts 

- 1.2: It must be possible to retrieve the container without destroying it 

- 1.3: The container must consist of a starchy base.

- Article 2: The sandwich must be able to be eaten in public without any non-edible third-party items (including tables, cutlery, napkins, and so on).

- Article 3: The customary way of consuming the sandwich must be compatible with the process described in Article 2. 

Note: The sandwich is culturally defined; therefore, Article 3 is based on cultural criteria. In case of doubt, Articles 1 and 2 take precedence.

Everything here have been debated from an occidental and french persoective.

Me and my roommates would be very happy to explore new perspectives and contradictions as it would force us to make a more precise definition of the sandwich

According to us, hot dog is a sandwich as it fullfill article 1 and 2

Yes. A few weeks ago, some coworkers and I mapped out the entire sandwich taxonomy. You attain sandwich nirvana once you derive these definitions:

1. Hot dog is a taco.
2. Taco is a subcategory of sandwich.
3. If the sandwich contains an additional piece of bread inside of it, it is now a lasagna.
4. Lasagna is a subcategory of sandwich. 🤯

Now it all makes sense. Be at peace.

It is a taco.

A hot dog is a taco

This is what every Object Oriented Programmer is pondering on

No. It's in the subcategory of bread based meals like sandwiches and pizza, scones, etc. The topology is different. Sandwiches are built with layers. Hot dogs have a bread cup/container with extra condiments wedged on top.

Hot dogs also require a sausage. Sandwiches are agnostic to sausages.

If a hoagie or hero is a sandwich, then it is only logical that a hotdog is also a sandwich.

EDIT: Since my criteria here has been cited by others and this comment, as initially presented, contributes very little to the discussion, I am amending this comment with the following information: Based on Ken Burns' Baseball documentary (at least my memory of it; been a few years), the hot dog has its genesis with guys selling food outside of a baseball park. They were selling sausages that were coiled, and served on a bun. The buns ran out and so they grabbed some Italian bread sold nearby, cutting the sausages and laying them in the bread, sliced sideways. This posits that the foundational concept of the hotdog was a conventional sandwich.

a hot dog is a taco. is a taco a sandwich?

Neither it's a taco

What holiday features hotdogs as it's traditional food?

yup

A hot dog is a sandwich in the same way that tomatoes are a fruit.

A hot dog is not a sandwich because most people do not call a hot dog a sandwich.

The definitions of words exist based on how we use them to communicate, not to fit into perfectly logical and consistent boxes.