Where “Hundreds and Thousands” Comes From
Hundreds and thousands are tiny coloured balls of sugar used to decorate cakes, biscuits and fairy bread. The name is a joke about how many there are.
They’re a standard part of Australian children’s parties.
“The fairy bread was covered in hundreds and thousands.”
How Aussies Actually Use It
You’ll hear it at kids’ parties, in recipes and at the supermarket.
In Real Life
Hundreds and thousands are the sparkle of a birthday party: sprinkled on buttered white bread to make fairy bread, or on iced cupcakes and biscuits. They’re cheap, colourful and loved by kids. Some people use “sprinkles” for any kind of topping, but hundreds and thousands refers to the tiny round balls.
Quick Questions
What are hundreds and thousands used for?
Decorating fairy bread, cakes and biscuits.
Are they the same as sprinkles?
They’re a type of sprinkle. “Sprinkles” can also mean longer, stick-shaped ones.
Say It Like an Aussie
Say it: HUN-dredz and THOW-zandz.
In conversation:
- Sprinkle hundreds and thousands on the cake.
- The kids love hundreds and thousands.
- Hundreds and thousands are on every kids’ party table.
Good to know: Some people say “sprinkles” instead, but in Australia hundreds and thousands is the classic name for the tiny round ones.
See also: Fairy Bread, Lollies, Bikkie
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