The Atlantic

What Color Is a Hot Dog?

Red, brown, or something else entirely?
Source: Svetlanais / Getty

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Two years ago, I had a conversation that I have thought about almost every day since. Some pals and I were playing a board game, and—don’t worry, I will not try to explain the rules of a board game to you here. But suffice it to say, it involved naming colors. And suffice it to say that, in the course of the game, my friend Estelle, an otherwise-bright young lady with a promising future ahead of her, revealed that in her mind’s eye, “hot dog” was a color somewhere between a late-summer tomato and a new

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