Crackers

One of the lovely things about being married is that we don’t have to read each other’s computer sites. I, for example, do not read The Daring Fireball, and my spouse does not start each morning with Dezeen Daily. We do however, share selective items from our favorite sites with each other. The following is thanks to a terrific tidbit my husband passed on to me.

Writer Sage Boggs is a curious guy. Spotting a box of Triscuit crackers at a party, he wondered out loud, “What does the name ‘Triscuit’ mean?”

He had already surmised that the “cuit” part was for “biscuit”. The perplexing part was the “tri”. Most of the party-goers agreed the “tri” was for three. Since Triscuits are definitely not triangle-shaped, most guessed it meant three ingredients or three layers.

After a failed Google search for the answer, Mr. Boggs went to the source and emailed the makers of Triscuits, Nabisco. Here is their reply:

“No business records survived which specifically explain the origin or inspiration for the name Triscuit. But we do know the name was chosen as a fun derivation of the word “biscuit”. The “Tri” does not mean three.”

Sage Boggs found this reply most unsatisfactory and doubled down on his online sleuthing…..and he hit the jackpot. The answer was found in early Triscuit advertisements. Triscuits were touted as “the only product of its kind on the market baked by electricity.” Lightning bolts were pictured radiating out from the crackers.

Sage Boggs had his aha moment. Triscuit means elecTRIcity crackers.

Ironically, the Nabisco Company confirms that Bogg’s research is accurate. Now, if only they would put the lightning bolts back on the package.

0

5 thoughts on “Crackers”

Leave a Comment