The club sandwich is a lunchtime staple – stacked sliced bread turkey ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. But where did the name “club sandwich” come from? A popular theory claims the “CLUB” acronym stands for its typical ingredients – Chicken Lettuce Under Bacon. But is this true or just a myth? Let’s explore the history and origins of how the club sandwich got its name.
The Viral “CLUB” Acronym Theory
These days, you can find the notion that club sandwich is an acronym for Chicken Lettuce Under Bacon (C.L.U.B.) all over the internet. A quick Google search brings up this referenced on blogs, Reddit, YouTube comments, and more.
The logic is sound – the classic ingredients seem to line up perfectly with this acronym. And we know other sandwiches like the BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) are known by an abbreviated name. So it makes sense that club could also be an acronym, right?
However, just because something is logical or makes intuitive sense doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true when it comes to etymology. Researching the actual origins of the term provides more conclusive evidence
Early References to the Club Sandwich
While the CLUB theory has become popular online, all available evidence suggests “club” in club sandwich is not actually an acronym.
References to the club sandwich date back to the late 1800s, decades before any evidence for the CLUB theory. For example, recipes for a “club-house sandwich” can be found in cookbooks from the 1890s.
The earliest known newspaper reference to this sandwich comes from an 1889 New York newspaper describing a “Union Club sandwich” served at the Union Club in New York City.
So clearly the club sandwich existed well before anyone was using CLUB as an acronym to describe it.
No Evidence CLUB Was Used Historically
Not only does the club sandwich predate the acronym theory, there is zero evidence that “CLUB” was ever used to refer to the sandwich historically
No cookbooks or newspaper articles use this acronym in reference to the sandwich prior to the 2000s internet era. Linguists have found no printed evidence of the Chicken Lettuce Under Bacon acronym before the late 1990s at the earliest.
If club was really an acronym, there would be at least some historical references to this, but there simply aren’t.
“Club” Refers to Clubhouses, Not Ingredients
Rather than an acronym, linguists agree the “club” in club sandwich refers to the late 19th century gentlemen’s clubs and country clubs where the sandwich was popularized and became widely known.
The first recipes called it a “club-house” sandwich, a direct reference to the club venues serving it. Club sandwich recipes from the early 1900s also reference this association with elite club venues.
So the country club and gentlemen’s club association provides a well-documented and logical origin for the “club” name that predates any evidence of an acronym.
A “Backronym” – Acronym Created Retroactively
The CLUB acronym appears to be what etymologists call a “backronym” – an acronym created after the fact based on an already existing term.
Once the club sandwich was well-established, someone creatively invented the CLUB acronym as a way to give a clever explanation for its name. But this acronym was never the original basis for the name itself.
Some other examples of acknowledged backronyms include POSHE for “People’s Organization for Social and Health and Economic Development” and FORD for “First On Race Day”.
Evidence Doesn’t Support CLUB Acronym Theory
Based on all available historical evidence and expert linguistic analysis, the CLUB acronym theory simply doesn’t stand up. The sandwich was referred to as “club” well before any documented evidence of the acronym. And absolutely no historical references to this acronym have been found.
So while an intriguing idea, the research shows this theory about the origin of “club sandwich” doesn’t match the facts. The evidence clearly points to the term referring to the upper-class clubs of the late 1800s, not an acronym for chicken lettuce under bacon.
The Bottom Line: A Retroactively Created Acronym
The CLUB acronym theory is widely circulated online and repeated by many. But just because a claim becomes popular on the internet doesn’t make it automatically true.
In this case, etymologists and food historians widely agree that CLUB stands for an acronym created after the fact, not the original basis for the club sandwich name.
So next time you see this acronym referenced online, you can help set the record straight on this modern-day myth. While the ingredients may fit the acronym nicely, extensive research reveals CLUB is nothing more than a “backronym” and not the real origin.
When it comes to the club sandwich name, the facts show it’s all about the exclusive clubs, not the chicken and lettuce!
Twitter users astounded to learn what a Club sandwich stands for
Why is it called a club sandwich?
The word “club” in “club sandwich” is an acronym for “chicken and lettuce under bacon.” A considerable number of people on the internet appear to believe that a food item known as the club sandwich got its name from the acronym of its most common ingredients: ” C hicken and L ettuce U nder B acon.”
Is ‘club’ a ‘chicken and lettuce under Bacon’?
If you scour social media, you’ll probably come across a rather dull answer. Some say that “club” is an acronym for “chicken and lettuce under bacon,” a theory propagated in part by the British tabloid The Sun. But can you really trust them? After all, we’re talking about a paper that once ran the headline Werewolf Seized in Southend.
Does a club sandwich have Bacon?
It’s said that “club” is an acronym for “chicken and lettuce under bacon,” but the original club sandwich never had bacon. The club sandwich dates back to the 18th or 19th century, with The Saratoga Club House, in Saratoga Springs, NY claiming they created the sandwich in 1894.
What is a union club sandwich?
Union Club’s version was made with two slices of graham bread (wheat bread ), turkey or chicken, and ham. The sandwich evolved over the years and by the 1970s it famously became known as a stacked sandwich with three slices of bread, chicken or turkey, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and bacon.
What’s in a club sandwich?
If you consider its individual ingredients, the club sandwich is about as basic as it gets. It features standard cold cuts you’d find in any deli case — typically turkey, though variations exist made with ham or chicken (via Irish Times ). The assembly is rounded out by bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. All delicious, but far from luxurious.
Are club sandwiches made with 3 pieces of bread?
Yes, club sandwiches are typically made with three pieces of bread—usually white sandwich bread, buttered and toasted. While club sandwiches and BLTs are very similar, club sandwiches are bigger (with a third slice of bread) and have more meat (ham, turkey, and bacon). There are many variations you could do on this sandwich.