Unlike Hil, I consider the olives to be the defining ingredient of the muffaletta - even moreso than the bread. It is not a mere condiment but that thing which transforms an otherwise basic Italian sandwich into a muffy. It is the transmogrifier.

It's like saying, "I made Coq au vin with hot dogs and beer instead of chicken and wine."

Dude, even by sixth grade trying to make your case by trace elements is to concede the entire argument. Trace elements only count in chemistry and criminal forensics .

If you're lactose intolerant, those trace amounts of cheese will make a big difference then.

Sorry -- you agreed with Sean, and I thought that meant you were going by the receipt not what had been eaten, like he said.

Now I see you don't agree with him, so I withdraw that.

I've moved on from the receipt thing. You should let it go.

I say this with love, but you all know that you are BIG GIANT FREAKS, right?

Unlike Hil, I consider the olives to be the defining ingredient of the muffaletta - even moreso than the bread.

So you're saying that, if you put the meat and cheese and olives onto a sub roll, you'd still have a muffaletta, rather than a sub with olives?

I say this with love, but you all know that you are BIG GIANT FREAKS, right?

If you had a muffeletta you'd understand.

you asked specifically what you were eating if you only ate the olives. I think in that instance, you're eating olives.

I was going by the bit of his argument I now see he has now discarded.

Because now he seems he thinks there is an irreducible essence too. Which involves bread, so far.

(blinking)

I just realised something - I'm arguing about sandwich zen.

Hooookay, time to go contemplate my belly button.

So you're saying that, if you put the meat and cheese and olives onto a sub roll, you'd still have a muffaletta, rather than a sub with olives?

It would be a poor muffeletta but would have greater claim to that name than having everything but the olives on the proper bread.

Because now he seems he thinks there is an irreducible essence too. Which involves bread, so far.

Mostly I'm giggling my ass off, trying to figure out just how far into the absurd we can push the muffaleta conversation.

And when Dana is going to come kill us all.

It would be a poor muffeletta but would have greater claim to that name than having everything but the olives on the proper bread.

And you think my rebuttal was lame?

Weak.