How do you cut a sandwich?

by Bob Sassone, Posted Sep 21st 2006 @ 9:01PM

Sandwich halves As we wrap up Sandwich Day here at Slashfood (thanks for all the great pics!), I was wondering: how do you cut a sandwich?

I mean, I know how to do it (it involves a knife), but I mean do you cut it down the middle, so you're left with two rectangles, or do you cut it diagonally, so you're left with two triangles?

I think this has a lot to do with our age and the way we were raised. For example, when we're young, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or tuna fish sandwiches and mom cut them for us, she probably cut it down the middle. I'm not sure why this is, but all moms seem to do it. Maybe they think our kid hands can't hold triangles? Or maybe rectangular food is just an easier concept for our kid minds to grasp?

I think that as we get older, something happens where we start to cut it diagonally. Does it happen at around 15, when we're starting to become independent, or does it happen when we're 21, and we actually are adults and we have to stop cutting sandwiches the "kiddie" way.

Of course, I don't have that problem anymore. Some time in my 30s I stopped cutting my sandwiches altogether. How about you?

Filed Under: Sandwich Day
Tags: bread, cheese, cutting sandwich, CuttingSandwich, knife, knives, meat

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-22-2006 @12:06AM Carlo said... My mother was the opposite acutally. When I was younger she always split them diagonally. And as I got older, I started cutting them into rectangles.

Now I don't cut it at all. There's just something more satisfying about taking a bite from a whole sandwich, instead of a wimpy little triangle or rectangle.
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9-22-2006 @1:14AM sarah said... are you kidding?!?! DIAGONAL all the way! that way you know for SURE that they are two halves. if you cut into rectangles by eyeballing, there's just no way they will be equal.

oh my. i think i need to stop drinking caffeine at night. :)
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9-22-2006 @4:05AM Peter said... Rectangles as we stack them and find it is easier to wrap with cling film. However for the kids it is in quarters (little squares).
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9-22-2006 @7:26AM Kathe said... When I was younger my made cut my sandwiches 2 different ways. First in three's: there woud be three little triangles. Or a second version - just to break it up a little - she'd cut it in quarters.
I thought this was cool. Four tiny squares - bite size. Yummmmmmmm!!!!!
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9-22-2006 @8:08AM MJ said... My mom always cut it at an angle I just cut it in half even my burgers! Hate to bite into a whole sandwich, especially a steak sub and get your face all messy. The way mom did it looks prettier though. Hate the bottom crust have to cut that off and leave the top crust.Anyone else do this??? with the crust???
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9-22-2006 @8:09AM MJ said... OH, they have the crustless bread out it is by wonderbread and I like to cut that in fours. This bread is cute anyway you slice it and great for parties the slices are larger,compared to you cutting off the crust ourself! LOL.. I have made myself hungry for a tuna salad sandwich on a crossaint and will cut it at an angle!!
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9-22-2006 @9:04AM s'kat said... When I was little, my mom always cut my sandwiches into diagonals, and that's the way I do it to this day.

Funny aside, my grandmother was watching me one afternoon, and offered to make me my favourite sandwich (a pb&j). She made the grave mistake of cutting it in HALF!!! I was horrified, and refused to eat it 'because it wouldn't taste right'.
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9-23-2006 @8:27PM Eric said... MJ, isn't a burger usually on a round roll? How would you cut that any other way than down the middle, you couldn't do a diagonal if you wanted to.

Restaurants usually cut on the diagonal--to expose more of the sandwich and make it appear larger than it actually is.
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9-22-2006 @10:51AM lionelhutz said... It's got to be diagonal. I'm sure there's a scientific way to prove the superiority of diagonal over other cuts/non-cuts. Maybe something to do with maximizing surface area of the tasty part of the sandwich, balancing the crust to filling ratio, or even something related to string theory. I don't know, but I do know that diagonal is best!
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9-22-2006 @12:14PM squawy said... I remember hating crust as a kid, but...getting weirder in my old age, I now cut grilled cheese sandwiches into 6 or 8 bite size pieces. For some strange reason, I think they're more fun to eat that way.
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9-22-2006 @12:16PM squawky said... I remember hating crust as a kid, but...getting weirder in my old age, I now cut grilled cheese sandwiches into 6 or 8 bite size pieces.
For some strange reason, I think they're more fun to eat that way.
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9-22-2006 @1:29PM Erin said... My mom always cut them on the diagonal for us. My grandma used to sometimes cut them in quarters--squares or triangles.
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9-22-2006 @11:36PM kaitlin Hess said... Long live the UNCUT sandwich.......leave it whole!
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9-23-2006 @7:57PM Sera said... I'm a diagonal cutter, all the way!! My mom, I think except for a few rare instances when making me a PB&J, would always cut it in half rectangular-wise. I never minded, but the fact that she didn't do the diagional made it that much more special when she did.

I now cut it diagional. ALWAYS. No ifs, ands or buts about it. ;P
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