You’ve been eating candy your whole life — but do you really know what’s in your hand? Here are three facts about your favourite treats that are equal parts weird, funny, and fascinating.
FACT #3
Snickers used to go by a completely different name
If you walked into a UK shop before 1990 and asked for a Snickers, you’d have been met with blank stares. In Britain, the iconic bar was sold under the name Marathon for over 60 years.
The reason? The word “Snickers” rhymes uncomfortably closely with knickers — the British term for ladies’ underwear. Mars eventually standardised the name worldwide, retiring Marathon for good.
“Marathon” disappeared from UK shelves in 1990 — a small piece of candy history, wrapped in chocolate and caramel.
FACT #2
The M on every M&M exists because of a rivalry
Ever wonder why every single M&M is stamped with a little letter M? It wasn’t always that way — and the reason it exists is surprisingly competitive.
Back in the 1950s, M&Ms were uncomfortably similar to Smarties, a rival candy sold in round, candy-coated shells. To make sure customers knew exactly which brand they were popping into their mouths, M&M’s parent company began imprinting the M directly onto each piece.
The brand mark stuck — and today it’s one of the most recognisable details in confectionery.
FACT #1
Drop a Skittle in water and watch the S float away
Skittles, like M&Ms, are branded with a letter — in this case, a small S. But here’s where things get strange: if you drop a Skittle into a bowl of water and leave it for a few minutes, the S detaches and floats off the surface of the candy.
This is because the S is printed on a thin wax-based ink layer that sits on top of the hard sugar shell. Water dissolves the shell beneath it, but the ink film stays intact — and its density is just low enough to drift upward.
Try it yourself: a glass of water, one Skittle, and about 90 seconds of patience. The results are oddly satisfying.
Which fact surprised you most? Share this article with the candy lover in your life ,they probably don’t know about the floating S.
