Oreo fans think they've solved mystery behind biscuit brand's name after 112 years
They've been gracing shop shelves for over a century - yet some biscuit enthusiasts are only n ow discovering the potential origins behind the Oreo name. Created by Mondelez International in 1912, Oreos consist of two chocolate biscuits with creamy filling nestled in between.
Despite being the world's top-selling cookie brand since 2014, it appears the story behind their legendary name has become a mystery to shoppers over the decades. One baffled customer asked on Reddit: "How did they come up with the name Oreo?". According to the brand's heritage, numerous theories exist about this famous moniker, with the leading suggestion being it derives from the French term 'or', meaning 'gold'.
The original Oreo packaging was golden in colour, which many believe sparked the inspiration for its title.
Yet alternative explanations propose the brand took its name from the Greek term 'Oros', translating to 'mountain' since the biscuit was initially crafted with a dome shape, or the Greek word 'ωραίο', meaning 'lovely' or 'appealing'.
Offering additional theories, one Reddit contributor shared: "There used to be a commercial where a guy stuffed his mouth full of Oreos and someone came and asked him 'What do you think of them?'".
"He replied with an affirmative grunt or 'mmhmm!' Sound. Then they asked 'What should we call them sir?'.
"And he replied 'I don't know' but since he had a mouthful of food, it sounded like 'Oreo'. As far as I'm concerned, that is 100% how it all went down, and I don't care to be corrected."
Another user revealed: "When the cookie was first introduced in 1912, it appeared as an Oreo Biscuit, which changed in 1921 to an Oreo Sandwich.
"There was another name change in 1937 to Oreo Creme Sandwich before the company settled on the name that was decided upon in 1974: Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie.
"Despite the roller coaster of official name changes, most people have always referred to the cookie simply as an 'Oreo'.
"So where did the 'Oreo' part even come from? The people at Nabisco aren't quite sure anymore. Some believe that the cookie's name was taken from the French word for gold, or (the main colour on early Oreo packaging).
"Others claim the name stemmed from the hill-shaped test version that never even made it to store shelves, inspiring the cookie prototype to be named the Greek word for mountain, Oreo.
"Some speculate that the name is a combination of taking the 're' from 'cream' and sandwiching it, just like the cookie, between the two 'o's in 'chocolate'-making 'o-re-o'.
"Still others offer the bare explanation that the cookie was named Oreo because it was short, fun, and easy to pronounce.
"Though the true naming process may never be revealed, that has not affected Oreo sales.
"As of 2019, it was estimated that 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since 1912, planting it firmly at the top of cookie sales and winning over the hearts of millions."
A third user chimed in: "Doesn't surprise me. When someone asked them about the origin of the name for Triscut crackers, they didn't really know either (its an old company after all - over 120 Years old).
"But someone located some marketing that described that it's name likely came from the process of production - electricity. Maybe that was the process used for other products as well. Who knows?".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'My neighbour massively overstepped while we were away and it's weird'
A man was left baffled when he came back from his holiday to find his neighbour had done something for him which he definitely hadn't asked them to – and was concerned Having nice neighbours is invaluable, and makes the vibe of living in your home so much easier. Someone you can rely on them to take your parcels in if you're not there, or even be home for a delivery. But one man was left confused when his neighbours seemed to overstep the line when he was away from home. He explained he and his wife have "recently moved to a nice community" and " love" their neighbours, describing them as "warm and friendly people," but did say that sometimes they can come across as quite "intrusive". The man explained: "When I say I intrusive, I'm referring to them always coming out when we are in the yard and commenting on what we are doing, making it feel as though we don't have privacy in our home or yard because they seem to always know when we come and go and have something to say about it. "If I'm grilling a steak they will come out and comment on how good it smells, etc. It gets a bit annoying not to just be able to enjoy our space in peace, even though they are friendly it's not always welcomed." However, he did share the neighbours had let their dog out while they were away, and they'd done the same for them - so they weren't averse to chatting to them. But after they went on holiday for five days, they were left stumped by something the neighbours had done. He wrote on Reddit: "This past week we took a 5 day vacation and when we returned the lady neighbor came over and handed me our mail. Stating, 'Welcome home! I collected your mail for you while you were away'. "I was shocked. It was only a few pieces, and we have a big mailbox, so it wasn't like it was overflowing. Never has anyone collected our mail for us, and certainly not without permission. "We did not ask them to do this. Initially, I was caught off guard and dismissed it as her being overly friendly and caring, but it just doesn't sit well with me. We frequently have medications delivered and also sensitive legal documents for work, and I had always assumed no one would ever tamper with our mailbox until now. "How would a sane person interpret this situation, and what might they do to communicate in a non-(stay the f*** out of my mail box) way, that I don't want them collecting our mail without permission? "What state of mind does a person have to be in to open someone's mail box at all, let alone take that mail into their home and hold it until they return. Super weird to me!" In the comments, someone wrote: "Put a mail hold on next time for leave town. It's easy to do beforehand and you'll get at least two benefits. 1. You won't have to worry about your mail being touched by anyone or potentially stolen and 2. It will accumulate and be delivered or available for pickup at your convenience." Another defended the neighbours, saying they probably meant well, writing: "I think this is a you'll come to appreciate it situation, and they'll get used to you being a bit more private too once they get to know you better." A Redditor also said: "You're an unreasonable person. This is called being neighbourly in most places."
Press and Journal
8 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Gallery: Looking back at memories of Foveran and Tipperty schools in 60 photos, from 1931 to 2024
When school returns after summer, pupils of the former Foveran and Tipperty schools will be forging a new future together as Ythan Bridge School. It will be a big change for the pupils, teachers and parents of both schools as they encounter different faces and places. Foveran was the first of the two Victorian schools to be formally established in 1873, with Tipperty following in 1878. The first log book entry at Foveran on November 24 1873 tells of the school opening in the presence of the Reverends Keay and Clark. Subsequent entries, right up to its centenary in 1973, provided a valuable record of changing social circumstances in a rural community. Recorded were vast attendance drops during sowing and 'hairst' times, snowstorms in March and April, and ominous outbreaks of scarlet fever. They also record pass marks in Latin, French and Greek. The very first person to be registered on the school roll back in 1873 was farmer's daughter Isabella Allan, of Aikens Hill. The roll totalled 110. Speaking in 1971, headteacher Mr Smith said one aspect of education that has not changed over the years is the constant call for improved facilities. 'One of the very early entries,' smiled Mr Smith, 'complained about the lack of space in the building.' Like many schools across Scotland, Tipperty had previously been a Free Church school until it was taken over by the Logie-Buchan school board in 1878. The Education (Scotland) Act in 1872 made education mandatory until the age of 14 and formalised both schooling and record keeping. Originally the proposal had been to establish a girls' school in Tipperty, but ratepayers were more keen on another co-educational school in the district. There were concerns even before it was built that there would not be enough pupils for the school and as early as 1923 the Kincardine Education Authority wanted to close it. But the local education department fought back, pointing out that closing Tipperty meant 'infants of five years old' would have to walk 2-3 miles to their next nearest school. Tipperty was reprieved until closure threats came calling again in 1973 and 1986, but remarkably each time it was saved. Now, both schools will face the biggest change in their 150 or so years by uniting as one. The newly-named Ythan Bridge School will be split over both Foveran and Tipperty school sites. Primary 1-3 pupils will be educated at Foveran, and primary 4-7 will be educated at Tipperty. The decision to merge the schools was made by Aberdeenshire Council to balance out an increasing roll at Foveran and a decreasing roll at Tipperty. Ythan Bridge was chosen to equally represent both schools, which are in the Ellon cluster near the Forvie reserve. The name reflects the Ythan area in which both schools stand, and Bridgend, which sits between each building. Just before the new chapter starts, we've opened our archives to look back at photos of Foveran and Tipperty schools.
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman thought she married 'good man' until Facebook message 'changed everything'
A woman is heartbroken after uncovering a secret her husband has been hiding from her since they began dating seven years ago - and it's completely changed their relationship Finding out something your partner has been keeping hidden from you can be devastating. Relationships are built on trust, and if they've been hiding key parts of their life from you for years, it can leave you feeling as though you don't really know them at all. One woman has found herself in this situation, as she recently discovered that her husband of four years has been keeping a colossal secret from her ever since they began dating seven years ago. While some partners might be able to excuse the occasional white lie, this "earth-shattering" discovery has changed the course of their relationship forever. In a post on Reddit, the woman explained she has been married to her husband for four years and they have two sons together. She described her spouse as "a good man" and claimed he has always been "very honest" about his life, including the events of his past before he began dating his now-wife. However, she recently received a Facebook message from a woman who changed everything. The other woman claimed that her husband is the father of her 15-year-old daughter, and that he hasn't been involved in the teenager's life since she was around two-years-old. This would mean he had this child long before he ever met his current wife, but she is absolutely devastated about the news - as her husband has never even mentioned it to her. She said: "A week ago today, a woman messaged me on Facebook saying that my husband is the father of her daughter (15-year-old girl) and that he hasn't been involved in her life since she was 2. HE HAS NEVER MENTIONED THIS GIRL TO ME. "Obviously, I was shocked and asked her to prove this, and she sent me a birth certificate and pictures of them together when they were younger with their daughter. I asked why she was just now telling me this, and she said it was because her daughter wanted to make contact with her father." The woman immediately confronted her husband about it, and was furious when he first tried to deny it. But when she showed him the birth certificate proof, he backtracked and finally told her the truth - after seven years of lying to her face. She added: "I called my husband out on this, and at first he tried to deny it until I sent the picture of the birth certificate with his name on it. He told me that they broke up when they were in their early 20s, and she didn't let him see his daughter because she was with another man. "He decided to move on with life and thought it was a good idea to pretend he wasn't a father. He told his parents to drop it and act as if she weren't a part of their lives." The mum-of-two concluded her post by saying she feels "betrayed, lied to, and heartbroken" over the bombshell, as not only has her husband been lying to her, but his entire family has, too. She is now filing for divorce as her trust in her husband is completely broken. And commenters have commended her for the move, as many described her husband's actions as "irredeemable". One person said: "Obviously irredeemable to start an entire life with someone and omit that information. But I'm especially struck by the fact that he DENIED it until you provided photo evidence. That's a disturbing lack of integrity." Another added: "That is an inexcusable omission by your husband." A third also wrote: "This is a major red flag. If he would do that to one child, he certainly would do it to others. You are right to consider divorce."
