It really doesn’t, but it seems that a lot of the people trapped in their homes by the coronavirus have too much time on their hands. To deal with their ennui, some have been consumed by the question of how Americans cut their sandwiches. (New York City apartments don’t usually have lawns outside their windows, so you can’t watch the grass grow.)
Social media is so consumed with debates over whether you should cut your sandwich in half diagonally or vertically that a 2014 article on the subject at BuzzFeed is trending. The article, titled “7 Scientific Reasons Diagonally Cut Sandwiches Are Better” provides a fairly non-scientific analysis, though some of author Nathan W. Pyle’s points are valid.
For example, he notes that the diagonal cut “is optimized for dipping in a variety of soup containers.” I haven’t verified whether a vertically cut sandwich — my preference — would interfere with soup dipping, but then I’m not much of a soup dipper.
One of Pyles’s arguments — that “hypotenuse length maximizes tongue-to-sandwich-filling contact area” — actually borders on the scientific. (When’s the last time you heard the word hypotenuse?) Also, I think he’s onto something with his argument for increased tongue-to-sandwich-filling contact.
I urge you to check out the piece at BuzzFeed if you have time to kill and are seeking diversion. Then again, if there is some paint in your apartment that you are planning to watch dry, far be it from me to stand in your way.
