Etymology: Sundae

The word sundae has a far more traceable background than most words. The first sundae was created in the early 1890's when a customer at E. C. Berner's ice cream parlor suggested topping his ice cream with the chocolate usually used to make sodas. Despite the owners warning that is would ruin the ice cream, the customer persisted and a new creation was born. The actual name was introduced in a neighboring town, Manitowoc, WI. The owner of a local ice cream parlor adopted Berner's new recipe but sold it on Sunday's only, making it a special treat. A young girl stopped by on a weekday and requested the yet-to-be-named- ice cream but was told it was only sold on Sundays. The girl retorted, "then this must be Sunday, because that's the ice cream I want." Following the interaction, the owner decided to call the recipe a Sunday and a new name was born. The change from Sunday to Sundae is not precisely recorded, however it is believed to have been done either to reduce confusion or to make the word look fancier. Either way, the word has really made its mark as it's still being used over a century later.