© Getty images
Jimmies aren't racist
The dictionary definition for JIMMIES used to be "decorative things." They have also been called toppettes, shots, fancies, trimettes and sprinkles. Jimmies were first developed by Just Born Candy Company. Born briefly pondered that question before deciding to accredit the name to the producer, Jimmy Bartholomew. The new product was named JIMMIES. In Boston, JIMMIES are to ice cream like mustard & relish are to a hot dog.
It seems primarily a Boston/Philly thing, but some European terms for these controversial, decorative candies are called: "Hundreds and Thousands" and "mice"
see here
Who could believe such an innocent little speckle of candy could cause such controversy? If you have any links, stories or photos that you'd like to share, please do!!!! I will include them in my blog and credit you, of course! Come on you Bostonians and Philadelphians alike! Oh and as noted in past articles, jimmies are chocolate, the colorful ones are sprinkles.
When I was 4 years old, my Mom and Dad would drive me and my little brother to Dairy Queen off of Rising Sun Ave. in eyesore Northeast, Philadelphia. I would order vanilla ice cream with chocolate jimmies, and my brother, chocolate with rainbow jimmies. Once in the car, I thought it would be funny to raise my ice cream cone up into interior roof of the car, splattering flecks of jimmies so they would adhere there, and telling my brother, "Look! ants, ants on the ceiling." Yep, I was a weird kid.
