Why are ice-cream cones with flakes stuck in them called 99s?
Nick Allen , Saltaire, UK • I seem to remember the flakes that were put in the ice-creams were originally called 99s. Sandy, Paussac, France • Apparently it is so called because the majority of ice cream merchants in the fifties were Italian. The King of Italy had an elite bodyguard consisting of 99 men. So anything elite was called 99s by Italians. So they called the elite ice cream a 99. Ray Mitcham, Southport, UK • From the Cadbury website: An Ice Cream served in a cone with a Flake 99 is the UK’s favourite ice cream. In the days of the monarchy in Italy the King had an elite guard consisting of 99 soldiers. Subsequently anything really special or first class was known as “99”. When Cadbury launched its small Flake for ice creams in 1930, the UK ice cream industry was dominated by ex-pat Italians. So, to appeal to Italians we called our superb Flake a “99”. Sue Fuller, Brentwood, England • Because in the good old days, they used to be 99p. Philippa, Ferris, England • So that Wikiped
