LogFAQs > #967474644

Though let's ignore meatball subs.

An italian sausage is called a "sandwich" when it is about as close to the same thing as possible.

The hang up people tend to have for hot dogs, I assume, is because we just lazily call it a "hot dog" whether it's in a bun or not. A hamburger without a bun people seem willing to call a "patty," but call it a sandwich on a bun. People don't seem willing to take that logic step with a hot dog. Or, atleast, didn't. People seem to be coming around to the idea more and more every year.

Ultimately, the context matters. Under no circumstances would somebody understand what you mean if you're holding a salad and they ask for a bite of your sandwich, but I'd think a majority would get what you mean if you're holding a hot dog.