On Sunday afternoon Australian Twitter user Kate Iselin asked a perfectly innocent question...
Are potato cakes called potato scallops in Sydney? Is that a thing?
And unwittingly fired the first shots in the Great Scallop War of 2014.
I WILL TOLERATE A LOT OF THINGS SYDNEY BUT THESE ARE POTATO CAKES, NOT SCALLOPS
Team Scallop came out swinging.
@kateiselin they are scallops! Go back to where you came from. Potato cakes... Jesus Christ, who even are you?
Batman knows.
I am reporting @kateiselin for war crimes against potatoes #ScallopWar
Let’s go scallops RT @dannolan: It’s a scallop. You know it. I know it. We will be victorious.
#HeyASIO, background check on people who say potato cake instead of potato scallop? #TeamAustralia #ScallopWar
They tried some logic...
Cakes are baked, not deep fried @firstdogonmoon @clembastow @joeliemckinnon
notice how the hashtag is Scallop War not Potato Cake War
and my view is: I feel use of 'cake' implies you would actually be grating or mashing the potato before shaping into a 'cake' shape
The power of the Internet. Look what I stopped to get on my way home. #scallopwar
According to Questacon, 69% of Australians call it a potato scallop, 31% call it potato cake. http://t.co/mrrxfYP2S0
Set about creating innovative weapons...
A chrome extension to replace all occurrences of "potato cake" with potato scallop.
Conscripted some allies...
So the #Sydney #Seal has intervened in the #scallopwar . Good take. Hot.
NZ agrees #TeamScallop #ScallopWar RT “@someofmybest: every australian I follow is getting mad about scalloped potatoes rn for some reason”
"It's a SCALLOP" - Malala Yousafzai.
And even threatened to take the fight... OFFLINE.
Scallop war hits the streets people. Team PRO SCALLOP meet me at the seal in ONE HOUR for a pep talk. We end this. Tonight.
But Team Cake would not be beaten.
.@Serco_Inc hi can we talk about you setting up a private resettlement facility for people who call them potato scallops?
Isn't Tone from NSW? So he probs says potato scallop so I'm super comfortable on the potato cake side.
I've never agreed so passionately with @kateiselin as I do right now! POTATO CAKE!!! #TeamCake
Please help support It's a Potato Cake, add a #Twibbon now! http://t.co/XAJSlE7AB2 http://t.co/8aLZPvRWWL
I find people who say 'potato scallop' to be confronting and I will ask Bronwyn Bishop to ensure such people are detained behind glass.
They looked to history for the answers...
Did a routine about Oz fracturing on potato cakes/scallops/fritters 17 yrs ago. Will we ever unite? I'm #teampotatocake #ScallopWar
Questioned the enemy's integrity...
Refuse to take advice about what to call a potato cake from people who refuse to recognise daylight savings
NSW/Qlders may also believe a pumpkin is a breed of cow for all I know but I'm not going to embarrass them about it. #scallopwars
And resorted to desperate measures.
THIS is scalloped potatoes/potato scallops
I believe these are scallops #ScallopWar can't see any potato
Innocent bystanders volunteered to fight for what they felt was right.
.@kateiselin I don't even like potato CAKES but I will defend to the death your right to call them potato CAKES. #TeamDimSim
The whole country was divided.
Reasons why VIC, TAS, SA are no longer part of Aus. RT @AyaReina: Potato scallop/scollop: QLD, NSW, ACT, WA. Potato cake: VIC, TAS, SA.
Even politicians took sides.
#StopScallopRetention
Potato cake.
Latecomers tried to create new factions...
"potato steaks" is in fact the correct term.
@BuzzFeedOz @SezClom looks like potato pancakes
@BuzzFeedOz @SezClom My English Mum has always called them Potato Smacks!
@BuzzFeedOz @trainspotter67 @SezClom potato fritters - South Australia.
And in the end, both Team Scallop and Team Cake fought dirty.
ISIS calls them potato cakes
whoa, the big dogs have weighed in
New reports suggest @kateiselin is in the pay of Big Potato, as fish and chip shops around Australia report massive spike in sales.
I think this ends the #ScallopWar.
Also, just so you 'potato scallop' people are aware of the term's history:
Finally, there was a desperate plea for international intervention.
PEOPLE OF NOT AUSTRALIA: WHAT ARE THESE POTATO THINGS CALLED?
Before the realisation hit: maybe everyone is a loser in this war.
Or how about this contribution? #ScallopWar
Unless you're a Fish and Chip shop.
Eating potato cakes at Flinders St. I blame @kateiselin and the #ScallopWar
@kateiselin I walked to the shop, bought 2 potato cakes & got 2 free. #TeamCake wins #scallopwar