Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Pretzel |
PretzelNoun1. Glazed and salted cracker typically in the shape of a loose knot. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "pretzel" was first used: 1856. (references) |
Etymology: Pretzel \Pret"zel\, noun. [from German expression pretzel, bretzel. Compare to Bretzel.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
19th Century Satire | The bar-keeper's promoter. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A pretzel is a baked snack that is ordinarily twisted into a unique knot-like shape. The pretzel is usually made from wheat flour with yeast; the dough is briefly dipped in lye water before baking, and usually (though not always) salted. The pretzel is popular with beer.Sources differ as to the time and place of the pretzel's origin. Many sources say it originated in southern Germany (where it remains very popular and is known as Brezel); others say it comes from the French region of Alsace on the border between France and Germany. Some say it originated in Medieval times, others that it dates back to Ancient Rome or even Celtic times.
There are also several stories about the origin of the pretzel shape. One legend holds that a baker accused of larceny was offered the opportunity to cancel his sentence if he could make a bread through which the sun could be seen thrice; the ingenious baker twisted his dough into a pretzel before baking. Another common story says that the shape represents the position of arms of a monk in prayer. Another story says that the three holes represent the Christian Holy Trinity. A sign with three rings was an old symbol to mark a bakery in Germany, but sources differ as to if the signs were made to imitate the pretzel or the pretel was made to imitate the signs. However, stories told of the pretzel are likely apochryphal, and the actual origin of the pretzel seems to be a mystery.
Pretzels are traditionally about the size of a standard cookie. However, some companies sell mini-pretzels about a fourth that size. In addition, a so-called super pretzel, or a breadstick twisted into a pretzel shape, has appeared on the market. The annual US pretzel industry is worth over $180 million.
The main varieties of pretzel are soft and hard. The soft is more traditional, and is best eaten fresh baked. The hard pretzel is more common in the United States, as it can be packaged and stored.
In northern Switzerland, sandwiches may be ordered substituting a large soft pretzel sliced horizontally for the bun.
According to some sources, the bagel originated as a variation on the pretzel.
External Links
- One Pretzel origin story
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Pretzel."
Crosswords: Pretzel |
| English words defined with "pretzel": Bretzel ♦ soft pretzel. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "pretzel": pretzel key, PRETZEL-TWISTING-MACHINE OPERATOR. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Pretzel" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Portuguese (pretzel), Turkish (pretzel). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | What's your story, pretzel man (The Usual Suspects; writing credit: Christopher McQuarrie) What about it, pretzel man, what's your story (The Usual Suspects; writing credit: Christopher McQuarrie) No, seriously, I have no self control and I told the pretzel vendor we're engaged (That '70s Show; writing credit: Stacia Raymond) Yes, Eric, I have no self control and I told the pretzel vendor we're engaged (That '70s Show; writing credit: Stacia Raymond) | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Human Pretzel (1967) Pretzel Farming (1920) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | (1) color slide shows a single, large, pretzel (salted). Credit: Renee Comet (photographer). |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Ape reaching out for a pretzel" by Julia Eisenberg Commentary: "Ape reaching out for a pretzel stick." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| "Pretzel" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Pretzel" is used about 3 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 3 | 202,518 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "pretzel" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Pretzel | Last name | 100 | 79,594 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "pretzel": pretzel key ♦ soft pretzel. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "pretzel"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | gjevrek (bagel, cracknel). (various references) | |
Arabic | كعك مملح و جاف. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | вид солен хрупкав геврек. (various references) | |
Chinese | 椒盐脆饼. (various references) | |
Danish | småkage i kringleform. (various references) | |
Dutch | zoute komijnkrakeling, komijnkrakeling. (various references) | |
Farsi | چوب شور(مزه ابجووغیره), بیسکویت نمکی . (various references) | |
Finnish | vesirinkeli. (various references) | |
French | bretzel. (various references) | |
German | Brezel. (various references) | |
Greek | αλμυρό μπισκότο Αλσατίας. (various references) | |
Hebrew | שלובית, כעך (bagel). (various references) | |
Hungarian | sósrúd (bread sticks, salty sticks), sósperec. (various references) | |
Italian | salatino (cocktail snack, salt biscuit, salt cracker, savoury biscuit), bretzel. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | etzelpray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | pretzel, rosquilha. (various references) | |
Romanian | covrig (bretzel, cracknel). (various references) | |
Russian | сухой кренделек. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | pereca. (various references) | |
Spanish | galleta tostada cubierta con sal, brezel. (various references) | |
Swedish | salt kringla, bretzel. (various references) | |
Turkish | pretzel, tuzlu simit. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | bracchium. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "pretzel": pretzels. (additional references) | |
| |
"Pretzel" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Dreitzel, Gratzel, Perczel, Pertsey, Petzet, petzl, Pietzner, pratel, preeze, Prenzler, pretell, Prethee, pretzle, prezel, Prezold, protel, Ratzel, Reitzel. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "pretzel" (pronounced pre"tzul) |
| 3 | -z u l | appraisal, arousal, Basil, causal, chisel, counterproposal, damsel, dazzle, disposal, drizzle, easel, embezzle, fizzle, frazzle, grizzle, guzzle, Hazel, spousal, menopausal, muzzle, nasal, nozzle, nuzzle, perusal, proposal, puzzle, reappraisal, recusal, refusal, reprisal, sizzle, weasel, Wurzel. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-e-l-p-r-t-z" | |
-1 letter: pelter, petrel. | |
-2 letters: leper, peter, relet, repel. | |
-3 letters: leer, leet, lept, peel, peer, pele, pelt, pert, pree, prez, reel, rete, teel, tele, tree. | |
-4 letters: eel, ere, lee, let, lez, pee, per, pet, ree, rep, ret, tee, tel, zee. | |
-5 letters: el, er, et, pe, re. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-e-l-p-r-t-z" | |
+1 letter: pretzels. | |
+3 letters: palletizer, pelletizer. | |
+4 letters: palletizers, pelletizers, proselytize, temporalize. | |
+5 letters: alphabetizer, presterilize, proselytized, proselytizer, proselytizes, recapitalize, temporalized, temporalizes. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Names: Frequency 10. Expressions 11. Expressions: Internet 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Translations: Ancient 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
