Today I Learned: PEZ is Short for ‘PfeffErminZ’

Ever wonder where Pez candies got their name? I’ll be honest, I always vaguely associated them with Fez, the perpetually stoned confused cast member of That 70’s Show. Eating a bunch of tiny pellet candies out of a plastic dispenser topped with a disembodied head seemed like something he’d do.

Turns out that Pez candies have nothing to do with 70’s era sitcoms and everything to do with the German fondness for peppermint. Yeah, “Pez” is just short for the German word “PfeffErminZ.” Which means peppermint. Don’t ask me why, since Pez tastes exactly nothing like peppermint (at least, none of the Pez I’ve ever had).

I’m just going to assume that a German taste tester got a little too close to one of the early Pez dispensers. Then this happened.

And the rest was history.

Another fun fact: Pez dispensers also come in size “giant” just in case you wanted to really know what it’s like to bite a piece of candy out of Big Bird’s throat. Just for funsies. Thanks, Pez, for being confusing, a little bit creepy, and really really delicious. We appreciate it.

H/T Mentalfloss + PicThx Quickmeme