Some arguments never really end. They come back at every family dinner, pop up again in the group chat, and nobody ever wins.
Here's the fun part: a lot of these famous debates already have an official-ish answer. Inventors, dictionaries, trade groups and even a ketchup company have all picked a side.
So grab a snack, maybe one the person across the table hasn't already judged, and let's see where the experts land on six of America's favorite arguments.
Toilet Paper: Over or Under?
The man behind the toilet paper roll was New York businessman Seth Wheeler. The drawing in his 1891 patent shows the paper hanging over the roll.
Case closed? Not quite. His patent never actually explains why it's drawn that way. And a later Wheeler patent from 1894 shows three rolls hanging in the "under" position.
Team Under has a few points too. People like that it looks tidier, and the cat has a harder time unrolling the whole thing.
Verdict: Over, but with an asterisk the size of a Costco pack.
Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?
Merriam-Webster says yes. Its editors pointed to their own definition of a sandwich, which includes "a split roll having a filling in between," and said there's really no way around it.
The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says absolutely not. Back in 2015, the group ruled that a hot dog is not a sandwich and called it a category all its own.
To keep things messy, Oscar Mayer once announced that hot dogs ARE sandwiches. It even set up a hotline so people could call in and try to change its mind. Nobody did.
Verdict: The dictionary and the hot dog people are still at odds. Split decision.
Pineapple on Pizza: Yes or No?
Plot twist: Hawaiian pizza isn't from Hawaii. The credit usually goes to Sam Panopoulos, a Greek-born Canadian who first served it in 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario.
The name came from the brand of canned pineapple he used. He admitted customers weren't sold on it at first, but ham and pineapple went on to become a menu staple around the world.
Verdict: Decades of sales say it's here to stay. Whether it belongs on your slice is between you and your taste buds.
GIF or JIF?
Steve Wilhite created the GIF at CompuServe in 1987. When he picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Webby Awards, his acceptance speech was a giant GIF that said it's pronounced "JIF," not "GIF."
Even so, Merriam-Webster notes that pronunciation is decided by the people who use a word, not the person who made it up. Both versions are still common.
Jif peanut butter even teamed up with GIPHY in 2020 on limited-edition jars labeled "Gif." Peak internet.
Verdict: The creator says soft G. The rest of the world says both.
Ketchup: Fridge or Pantry?
This one's the closest thing to a real ruling. Heinz labels in the U.S. say "For Best Results, Refrigerate After Opening."
Heinz explains that ketchup's natural acidity makes it shelf-stable, but the company still recommends the fridge after opening to keep the quality up.
So why do restaurants leave it on the table? They go through bottles fast. At home, that bottle might hang around for months.
Verdict: Fridge. Heinz has spoken.
Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
The 1988 action classic takes place at a Christmas Eve office party. At his 2018 Comedy Central Roast, Bruce Willis declared that it is not a Christmas movie.
Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza disagrees. He points to all the holiday touches in the script, right down to the "Season's Greetings" tape John McClane uses to hide a gun on his back.
Director John McTiernan has said they never meant to make a Christmas movie. In his view, the joy fans got out of it is what turned it into one.
Verdict: The fans get the final say, and plenty of them already watch it every December.
Austin's Take
Here's my ruling: toilet paper goes over, ketchup goes in the fridge, and a hot dog is a hot dog. I'm siding with the Sausage Council. Some foods are just too iconic to get lumped in with a club sandwich.
Pineapple on pizza? Totally fine. Sweet and salty is a winning combo, and anything that's been fueling arguments for this long has earned its spot on the menu.
Now it's your turn. Which of these debates gets people heated at your house, and which side are you on? Tell me in the comments!
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
