THE HOT DOG
In its home country of Germany, the hot dog was called the frankfurter. It was named after
Frankfurt, a German city.
Frankfurters were first sold in the United States in the 1860s. Americans called frankfurters
“dachshund sausages.” A dachshund is a dog from Germany with a very long body and short legs.
“Dachshund sausage” seemed like a good name for the frankfurter.
Dachshund sausages first became popular in New York, especially at baseball games. At
games they were sold by men who kept them warm in hot-water tanks. As the men walked up and
down the rows of people, they yelled, “Get your dachshund sausages! Get your hot dachshund
sausages!” People got the sausages on buns, a special bread.
One day in 1906 a newspaper cartoonist named Tad Dorgan went to a baseball game. When
he saw the men with the dachshund sausages, he got an idea for a cartoon. The next day at the
newspaper office he drew a bun with a dachshund inside―not a dachshund sausage, but a
dachshund. Dorgan didn’t know how to spell dachshund. Under the cartoon, he wrote “Get your
hot dogs!”
The cartoon was a sensation, and so was the new name. If you go to a baseball game today,
you can still see sellers walking around with hot-water tanks. As they walk up and down the rows
they yell, “Get you hot dogs here! Get your hot dogs!”
VOCABULARY: Complete the definitions. Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. The special bread used for a hot dog is a __________.
a. sausage b. bun c. dachshund
2. Another word for to shout is to __________.
a. name b. draw c. yell
3. A line of objects or people is a __________.
a. row b. game c. cartoon
4. When something is a cause of excitement, it is __________.
a. an idea b. a sensation c. a hot dog
5. Large containers for water or other liquids, sometimes made of metal, are called __________.
a. tanks b. sellers c. cartoonists
6. A funny drawing is a __________.
a. cartoonist b. frankfurter c. cartoon
COMPREHENSION
A. Looking for Main Ideas: Write the questions for these answers.
1. What _________________________________________________________________?
Americans called frankfurters “dachshund sausages.”
2. Where ________________________________________________________________?
Dachshund sausages were first sold at baseball games.
3. Who _________________________________________________________________?
Tad Dorgan was a newspaper cartoonist.
B. Looking for Details: Circle T if the sentence is true. Circle F if the sentence is false.
True False
1. Frankfurters were first sold in the United States in the 1960s. T F
2. A dachshund is a dog with a long body and short legs. T F
3. At baseball games today you cannot see sellers walking around with T F
hot-water tanks.
4. Tad Dorgan got an idea for a cartoon in his office. T F
5. Tad Dorgan drew a bun with a sausage inside. T F
6. The words under Tad Dorgan’s cartoon were “Get your hot dogs!” T F
GRAMMAR: Complete the sentences using the past tense form of the verbs in parentheses.
Example: Americans called frankfurters “dachshund sausages.”
(call)
1. Dachshund sausages first ______________ popular in New York.
(become)
2. The sellers ______________ the sausages warm in hot-water tanks.
(keep)
3. People _____________ the sausages on buns.
(get)
4. One day Tad Dorgan _____________ to a baseball game.
(go)
5. He _____________ the men with the dachshund sausages.
(see)
6. He ______________, “Get your hot dogs!” under the cartoon.
(write)
DISCUSSION: Discuss the answers to these questions with your classmates.
1. Besides hot dogs, what are other popular foods in the United States?
What are some popular foods in your country?
2. Are hot dogs healthy for you? Why or why not?
3. What are some healthy foods? What are some foods that are not so healthy?
