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The great Thanksgiving debate: Is it 'dressing' or 'stuffing'?

Fun fact: Some folks call it "filling!"
Photo: ABC News

We have all heard of that great Thanksgiving debate: Is it "stuffing" or is it "dressing?"

Turns out, the answer boils down to two factors: How it's cooked and where you live.

It depends on how it's cooked

When asked, most folks agree that the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing" boils down to how it's cooked. They say if it's cooked inside of the bird, it's "stuffing," but if it's cooked outside of the turkey on the pan, it's "dressing."

Photo: ABC News

Turns out, "stuffing" was first used in the mid-1500s to describe the act of "stuffing" the bird with the mixture, according to Grammarist.

It was first called "dressing" in the 1850s when the Victorians said "stuffing" was too crude of a term to describe the dish, according to the History Channel.

It also depends on where you're from

The History Channel also says the difference is also regional; it depends on where you're from.

Simply put, Northerners call it "stuffing" and Southerners call it "dressing."

Turns out, a few people also call it "filling," which is more common among Pennsylvanians.

Data compiled by Google Correlate also found that in 2018, most Southern states Googled "dressing" recipes. The state most searching for "dressing" was Mississippi, followed by its bordering states like Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Meanwhile, most Northern states Googled "stuffing" recipes, with the top states being Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

First Coast News posted the poll on Facebook and received some interesting answers:

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