During World War II, bakers in the United States were ordered to stop selling sliced bread. It was never explained how selling only un-sliced bread helped the war effort.
Really?
I don't particularly doubt the 'fact'. Many industries were requested or ordered to change procedure during the war. But was it never explained? This feels like sensationalism designed to elevate a 'fact' which stands just fine on its own.
I'm going to check it ahhht!
Indeed, the 'fact' checks out, so I can drop the sarcasm marks. This was a wartime conservation measure. According to the New York Times, officials explained that "the ready-sliced loaf must have a heavier wrapping than an unsliced one if it is not to dry out." (I ripped that directly from Wikipedia, so it's probably good form to credit them at this stage). Thus, heavier paper is more expensive, and the reduced demand would save paper, labour, energy and money and other splendid war related resources.
I can't comment on the reliability of the New York Times' correspondence, but if 'officials' explained it, then it was explained. My checking of it ahhht would be finished at this stage, had I not found an answer which I prefer infinitely.
I don't know who to credit this to, so I won't. I just won't claim any (especially since it's not true).
It was speculated that this order was issued prior to America's involvement in WWII as a propaganda measure. The US government needed backing to join the war effort. In line with the phrase "...the greatest thing since sliced bread", it followed that sliced bread was the previous greatest thing. So: abolish sliced bread and blame the Nasties and the Japs for taking away great things. A week or two of having to slice their own bread would have the Americans lobbying for war.
In fact, the USA had been at war for over a year when the sliced bread ban was issued, triggered by a far less trifling matter than the sliciness of bread - by the inclusion of 'sliciness' in the dictionary! (if I recall accurately)
I occasionally ponder the greatest thing before sliced bread. I shan't be checking that ahhht, but your suggestions are welcome.
Sliced toilet paper?
This question just popped into my head, i'm pretty sure it's a thing before sliced bread (whether or not it's great is a matter of taste), it's also related to your previous sandwich post (in a way) and since you did say suggestions are welcome...
ReplyDeleteDid the people of Cardigan, Wales actually invent the garment? I can't imagine they were the first out of all the people in the world (or even the world as we/they knew it) to ever come up with the bright idea of having a jumper with buttons down the front. (Though I'm the first to admit there's lots of stuff I can't even imagine that is very much true, the more you look into "stuff" the more you find, innit?)
Perhaps the people of Cardigan were particularly fond of said garment? Perhaps they just had an exceptionally good cardigan maker and so locally it was "the place to go" for jumpers with buttons down the front and it all progressed from there? The last two sound more plausible... but as i said, that doesn't have mean a thing.