Poll: How many sandwiches ? (now with a poll!)

[Vonhelmet]

A sandwich is a countable entity. It's not like, say, a pile or a hole. If you have a pile of sand and you take half of it away, there is still a pile of sand, as there is no set definition on what constitutes a "pile". Likewise, digging one hole and then digging an equivalent hole at the bottom of it doesn't make two holes, one atop the other, it makes a single hole of twice the depth.

A sandwich, however, is commonly defined as two slices of bread with some filling between them. Cutting a sandwich in half them makes two half sandwiches, as each one is clearly composed of one slice of bread and some filling.

 

[Chasser]

Just try this experiment.
Shout to your mothers/girlfriends/wifes that you want 4 sandwiches and to bring you the bread and butter to make them and lets see who's not in the real world.

My wife was obviously unwilling to participate in this fact finding mission. I tried the aforementioned command and was threatened with violence and the forceful insertion of a whole loaf up my jaxxy.

 

[Lui]

ah, but according to the others here, a loaf could mean one crumb, since its a part of a loaf, just divided up a lot of times

 

[Mafioso]

This thread has actually given me a headache...

 

[Gman]

I say there are 2. By definition the term sandwich means

insert or squeeze tightly between two people or objects

Therefore if the original sandwich is cut in 2 we then have 2 pieces each consisting of a filling squeezed between two pieces of bread. So by definition we have TWO sarnies.

But saying that if I was giving half a sarnie when I asked for a sandwich I would be a bit miffed.

 

[Lui]

I say there are 2. By definition the term sandwich means



Therefore if the original sandwich is cut in 2 we then have 2 pieces each consisting of a filling squeezed between two pieces of bread. So by definition we have TWO sarnies.

But saying that if I was giving half a sarnie when I asked for a sandwich I would be a bit miffed.

ah, but you wouldnt be given half a sarnie according to that definition, you would be getting a full sarnie, so did you mean theres 1 sarnie?

 

[asim]

I say its a single sandwich. Cause if you offered someone part of your sandwich you'd say. "Would you like half of my sandwich". Not "Would you like a sandwich"

 

[Mickey]

Its quite clearly 1.

A sandwitch is everything inside the crusts, it doesn't matter how many times you cut it up, its still 1.

 

[fatiain]

Jeez, I go away for a couple of hours and this happens. It's still one - Mathematically bread+filling+bread = sandwich all divised by two (as in cut in half) = 2(0.5bread+0.5filling+0.5bread) = 2(0.5sandwich)

2(0.5sandwich) is equvalent to 2 x 0.5 = 1 QED

 

[Cybermyk]

Jeez, I go away for a couple of hours and this happens. It's still one - Mathematically bread+filling+bread = sandwich all divised by two (as in cut in half) = 2(0.5bread+0.5filling+0.5bread) = 2(0.5sandwich)

2(0.5sandwich) is equvalent to 2 x 0.5 = 1 QED

I still say it matters when you cut the bread. If it is cut after the sandwich is made then it's half a sandwich. If you cut the bread and then make sandwiches out of the pieces then you have two.

 

[Martynt74]

ah, but according to the others here, a loaf could mean one crumb, since its a part of a loaf, just divided up a lot of times

No because a crumb is a crumb, whereas a full loaf is a loaf. They are different thus have difference names.

Whereas you take a sandwich and cut it in 2. Thus making 2 sandwiches

 

[Lui]

No because a crumb is a crumb, whereas a full loaf is a loaf. They are different thus have difference names.

Whereas you take a sandwich and cut it in 2. Thus making 2 sandwiches

how does that work?

a sandwich and a sandwich cut in half have different names too.

one is a sandwich, the other is 2 halves of a sandwich, they both have different names.

 

[ElvisFan]

I still say it matters when you cut the bread. If it is cut after the sandwich is made then it's half a sandwich. If you cut the bread and then make sandwiches out of the pieces then you have two.

Absolutely.

I don't know which part of that some people can't understand.

 

[Stretch]

Lol, I started reading this thread earlier today and tbh after 291 posts I don't think we're any closer to a consensus.

My personal thoughts are if you take a sandwich and cut it half then you get 2 half sandwiches. If I ordered a sandwich and only got half I would feel short changed to the tune of half a sandwich.

 

[Martynt74]

how does that work?

a sandwich and a sandwich cut in half have different names too.

one is a sandwich, the other is 2 halves of a sandwich, they both have different names.

No because by definition a sandwich is 2 slices of bread containing a filling, no matter how many time your cut the original sandwich the segments stll have a filling inside 2 slices of bread and thus still a sandwich

 

[Sic]

i only read the first 80 posts and this last page, but amazingly this thread seems to have stayed on on topic!! weird

it's quite clearly 2 sandwiches. one of those little triangles is a sandwich.

if you had 1 piece of bread and made a sandwich out of that, would you call it half a sandwich? no...you'd call it one!!

a round is based on pairs of bread used. 2 sandwiches from 2 pieces of bread = 1 round. it's not that hard

why is it that a sandwich only tastes good when cut into triangles??

 

[Raymond Lin]

How can anyone think it's 2 sandwiches? Forget about math here, otherwise you'll just go around in circles.

Think like the real world. You go into Greggs to get a sandwich. You say "Can i have 1 of those (insert your favourites here) please"

Now do you expect to get half a sandwich just because you said 1 ?

NO ! You expect to get a whole sandwich cut in 2 halves. Because thats how a Single sandwich comes in !

For those who think there are 2, next time you go in. Ask for 2 sandwiches (when you really mean 1), and then when the nice lady hands you 2, and you explains to her that you only want 1. And see how she reacts when you tried to explain to her why it should be 2 and not 1.

 

[xyphic]

i only read the first 80 posts and this last page, but amazingly this thread seems to have stayed on on topic!! weird

It's because this is such a fundamentally important question that it warrants *days* of debate. The posts so far have only scratched the surface - it's when we get to talking about quantum sandwiches that you have to worry.

why is it that a sandwich only tastes good when cut into triangles??

McWhirter's Sandwich Uncertainty Principle states that "one cannot know both the shape and flavour of the sandwich. By cutting it, one irreversably changes the flavour - it is an interesting observation that triangles are tastier than squares. I reckon it's magic."

/bored

 

[Al Vallario]

No because by definition a sandwich is 2 slices of bread containing a filling, no matter how many time your cut the original sandwich the segments stll have a filling inside 2 slices of bread and thus still a sandwich

Exactly!

As long as it's two (or more) slices of bread containing a filling, it's a sandwich. Doesn't matter if it once formed half of another, larger sandwich, it's still a sandwich in it's own right.

I can't see how people can possibly think it's 1

 

[Raymond Lin]

Exactly!

As long as it's two (or more) slices of bread containing a filling, it's a sandwich. Doesn't matter if it once formed half of another, larger sandwich, it's still a sandwich in it's own right.

I can't see how people can possibly think it's 1

you just agreed with him and then disagreed....

Well, if it's not one, then next time you are in Gregg's ask for 2 sandwiches.