Jimmies Versus Sprinkles: The Great Debate

I’ve always loved ice cream, always craved it. Whenever I’d get sick as a kid, the only thing I could stomach was ice cream. Chocolate, in particular. Big scoops adorned with hot fudge, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and jimmies—

Jimmies?

That’s right – I said jimmies. You know, those tiny rainbow colorful specks that decorate your dessert. You might refer to them as “sprinkles”, but those of us here in Philadelphia prefer the unconventional name.

I can’t remember where I learned the term, because it always came natural to me. But I do remember after moving from Philly to Bucks County that my friends would look at me like I had four heads whenever I’d refer to jimmies. That’s when the great debate started. Soon, not only were we butting heads about jimmies and sprinkles, but there were also controversies over “beg-al” versus “bay-gal”, “serr-up” versus “sear-up”, “wooder” versus “watter”, and “hoagies” versus “subs”.

So where do these slang terms come from? As far as jimmies go, it’s believed that the Just Born candy company employee who made them in the 1930s was named Jimmy Bartholomew. Although this is not confirmed, it seems appropriate.

So which is it for you? Jimmies or sprinkles? Post a comment below with your preference of this candy-coated ice cream topper, and let the games begin!