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The Daily Insight

Why are hundreds and thousands called that?

Author

Abigail Rogers

Updated on March 12, 2026

In British English, these are sugar strands or hundreds-and-thousands (the latter term alludes to their supposed uncountability). In the Northeastern United States, sprinkles are often referred to as jimmies. The food-sprinkle dragée is now also made in a form resembling pearls.

Similarly, what is the meaning of hundreds of thousands?

Hundreds and thousands is an idiomatic expression used to mean "an indefinite but emphatically large number".

Subsequently, question is, what do they call sprinkles in Australia? Add Hundreds and Thousands Now it's time to rainbow-fy the fairy bread, aka cover it in sprinkles. Traditionally, as Elliot mentioned, Australians use what they call "hundreds and thousands," or colorful, round sprinkles.

Secondly, what are hundreds and thousands called in America?

Nonpareils (or hundreds and thousands outside North America) are a decorative confectionery of tiny balls made with sugar and starch, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors.

Who invented hundreds and thousands?

Sprinkles have many names in many countries. In England, they are called “hundreds and thousands.” In Holland, they go by hagelslag. By most accounts, sprinkles were invented by French bakers in the 18th Century and called nonpareils.

Related Question Answers

How do you say hundreds of thousands?

So we describe hundreds/tens of millions, then thousands, then hundreds:
  1. 1,345,612 = one million, three hundred and forty five thousand, six hundred and twelve.
  2. 153,200 = one hundred and fifty three thousand, two hundred.

How do you write thousands?

For example 5 thousand is . Equivalently, move the decimal point three places to the right: thousand would be . If you want to express a given number as a number of thousands then "lose three zeros" or move the decimal point three places to the left. For example is thousands.

What's the difference between hundreds and thousands?

The difference is that "hundreds of thousands of" means "at least 200,000", but probably more. It's vague but huge (relatively), but "hundreds and thousands of" is illogical and semantically untenable.

What number is tens of thousands?

tens of (thousands/millions/billions) of (something) Use this phrase to talk about a large number of something. "Tens of thousands" could mean anything from 20,000 to 100,000, but it seems like it's on the higher end of that range.

What is the difference between thousand and thousands?

Always use a plural verb with thousand or thousands, except when an amount of money is mentionedFour thousand (people) are expected to attend.Two thousand (pounds) was withdrawn from the account. ? a thousand, thousands (of…) (usually informal) a large number There were thousands of people there.

How many hundreds are there in 1000?

Number Name How Many
1,000 one thousand ten hundreds
10,000 ten thousand ten thousands
100,000 one hundred thousand one hundred thousands
1,000,000 one million one thousand thousands

What is thousands of thousands?

Noun. hundreds of thousands pl (plural only) In the sense of the sugar decoration, an error for hundreds and thousands. An imprecise or unknown number between one hundred thousand and a million; numbering hundreds of thousands.

What does the phrase thousands and thousands mean?

used for saying how many people or things do something, without being exact. Londoners came out on the streets in their thousands.

Do sprinkles expire?

How long do sprinkles last? Sprinkles last for 3-5 years beyond the "best by" date stamped on the container, this is if they have been handled properly. The shelf life of sprinkles depends on the production date or the best before date and how the sprinkles are stored. Sprinkles are basically just sugar.

What is a pareil?

nonpareil. noun. Definition of nonpareil (Entry 2 of 2) 1 : an individual of unequaled excellence : paragon. 2a : a small flat disk of chocolate covered with white sugar pellets.

Why is it called a nonpareil?

Nonpareils are dark chocolate discs that are sprinkled with small, white candy balls. The name actually refers to the small candy balls and is from the French word for "without equal." We think that putting them on dark chocolate is an excellent "delivery system." Sno Caps are a smaller version.

What is sprinkles made out of?

Exploring that sweet, colorful dessert topping So, the short answer is: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, a little food-grade wax (for those of us who eat wax) and artificial coloring and flavoring. Mmm.

What does Jimmies mean in slang?

(plural jimmies) (in the plural only, dialectal, US, usually plural) Chocolate sprinkles used as a topping for ice cream, cookies, or cupcakes. (slang) A marijuana cigarette. A device used to circumvent a locking mechanism; a slim-Jim.

What do you call chocolate buttons with hundreds and thousands?

Brown Gems - chocolate flavour buttons covered in multi coloured hundreds and thousands. Also known as Jazzies or Jazzles sometimes called Rainbow Drops.

What are sprinkles called?

It turns out that jimmies are a regional New England term for the treat that many of us call sprinkles, nonpareils, or even hundreds-and-thousands. The Dictionary of American Regional English defines them as "tiny balls or rod-shaped bits of candy used as a topping for ice-cream, cakes and other sweets."

What are pareil sprinkles?

Jimmies. Jimmies are tiny sugar strands of confectionery, typically in a rod shape, used to decorate desserts. They come in multi-colors or chocolate and are usually what people refer to when they say “sprinkles”. Two of my favorite uses of Jimmies are Patriotic White Chocolate Pretzels and Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles.

What are round sprinkles called?

Round Sprinkles Also called nonpareils, these are teeny-tiny balls in a rainbow of hues. Nonpareils means “without equal” in French, which is exactly what desserts became in the late 18th century when they were first topped with these delicate decorations.

Where do they call sprinkles jimmies?

Names. Jimmies is the most popular term for sprinkles in the Philadelphia and Boston regions. The origin of the name "jimmies" is uncertain, but it was first documented in 1930, as a topping for cake.

What is fairy toast?

Fairy bread is sliced white bread spread with butter or margarine and covered with sprinkles or "hundreds and thousands", served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand. It is typically cut into two triangles.

What is the difference between sprinkles and jimmies?

Sprinkles were tiny, multi-colored spheres applied to baked goods, usually cupcakes. Jimmies were slightly larger, oblong-shaped chocolate or multi-colored candies used for adorning ice cream cones and sundaes.

What country is fairy bread from?

Australia

What flavor are rainbow sprinkles?

The rainbow-colored sprinkles have no flavor added whatsoever. The Dutch chocolate Hagelslag, on the other hand, is actually chocolate that's been made into a paste by adding powdered sugar. They actually taste good, whereas chocolate sprinkles need ice cream or cupcakes to be palatable.

Does sprinkles have vegan ice cream?

Sprinkles goes vegan! Traditional dairy products are substituted with vegan friendly ingredients, including all natural soymilk, tofu-based cream cheese and pure coconut oil.

How do you pronounce non pareil?

Nonpareil is pronounced ohn-pah-rehy in French. Today, a French person who wants to say “having no equal” would say sans pareil, pronounced sahn-pah-rehy .

How are rainbow sprinkles made?

Rainbow sprinkles are made from masses of colored dough, progressively chopped up and shaped into little bits, and then mixed together.

What are hundreds and thousands made of?

Nonpareils (or hundreds and thousands outside North America) are a decorative confectionery of tiny balls made with sugar and starch, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors.

Who made Sprinkles cupcakes?

Candace Nelson Charles Nelson