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When is a bagel cut in half not a bagel cut in half?

By squirrelbait - July 17, 2007

in Object Culture

East-coasters might not notice that bagels come, not only sliced across for fixins, but cut in half again to yield two sandwich-like pieces, until they're in some other part of the bagel-yielding country where this doesn't happen and you're left confused as to why you feel uncomfortable and a bit panicky. Civrot, a native New Yorker, has experienced exactly that, and dishes on the frustration of dealing with the communication issues involved with getting a bagel "cut in half".

I have been living on the West coast for almost five years now and whenever I order a bagel I have to remember to always ask for them to cut it in half, which results in a bewildered look. "You mean cut it in half again?", while making a vertical cutting motion with their hands, they ask. To which I respond, "Yes." However sometimes they need more of an explanation. "Well its already cut in half to put the cream cheese on it.", some say. Yes of course it is. How else can you get the cream cheese on the bagel? Just spread it on the top?

via coudal

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Zed

11 years ago

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Sliced and cut are synonymous. To try and create a distinction without a differenece is only asking for trouble.

Let's be honest, you want your bagel cut into 4 parts.
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Albert

17 years ago

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This is done in the Northeast, right? I live in Miami (far south but east coast nonetheless), and I never knew anybody cut bagels like that.
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Markus

17 years ago

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There should be some universal understanding from this point on from coast to coast...SLICED in half should mean the normal cream cheese spreadable direction. CUT in half should mean turning the bagel from an "O" into two "C's". Get it?
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ehtnax

17 years ago

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I find that if you ask like this--I'd like it cut in half like a sandwich--you get what you want. well kind of. the bagel will most likely still be awful.
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