The Sandwich

The sandwich, traditionally referring to an edible bready snack, is taking on a relatively new meaning to represent more than the cold-cut filled meal. My purpose here is to discuss the difference between a traditional sandwich and relatively new sandwich meaning, a person sandwich. It occurred to me that the ingredients to a whatever sandwich does not follow a common naming procedure.

To describe a traditional sandwich you say something like "turkey sandwich," which is describing the inner contents of the sandwich. To describe a person sandwich you say something like "cheerleader sandwich," which is describing the outer contents of the sandwich. While those are both mouthwatering ideas, they are not using a common naming procedure. You do not say a "bread sandwich," or "Joe sandwich."

So, it appears that in common reference, an traditional sandwich is classified by its contents, while the person sandwich is classified by the outside component. The reason for this, I believe, is that a sandwich is classified by its interesting parts. In my examples the traditional sandwich the interesting part is the turkey, not the bread, and in a person sandwich the interesting part is the cheerleader, as opposed to the Joe. So next time you are stuck in a cheerleader sandwich, remember that if you were the traditional edible sandwich it would be a You sandwich.