What is a Twix, anyway?

Is the Snickers bar named after an animal? 12 candy names explained

Image: Denny Müller

If you have never seen a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or an Almond Joy but only read the name, chances are that you would be able to form an idea of the product. But this is not always the case with candies and candy bars. Many of these delicious treats have names that do not seem to have any logical connection with their contents. But they do have it. Take a look at the following 12 famous examples. Did you know about any of these?

Image: Shyam Mishra

The Snickers bar, introduced by the Mars, Inc. company in 1930, was named after the Mars family's favorite horse. Snickers lived on their farm and was dearly loved.

Sadly, the horse passed away shortly before the candy bar's release, so naming the bar after him served as a tribute to their cherished companion.

Image: Justin

The name Kit Kat traces back to the 18th-century Kit-Cat Club in London, which itself was named after Christopher Catling, a pastry chef nicknamed "Kit Cat."

Rowntree's, the company that launched the bar in the 1930s, chose the name to give it a touch of history and sophistication.

Image: Irfan Zaini

M&M’s stands for Mars and Murrie, the last names of the candy’s creators. Forrest Mars of the Mars Company teamed up with Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey’s president, and the delicious, colorful candies were born.

Image: Alexander Schimmeck

Starburst got its name to reflect the candy’s bold, fruity flavors, like a burst of flavor in every bite.

Originally launched in the UK in 1960 as Opal Fruits, it was renamed Starburst for the U.S. release in 1967, likely to create a more dynamic, space-age image during the height of the space race.

Image: Steffen Rehfuß

Sour Patch Kids were originally called Mars Men when they debuted in the 1970s, playing off the era’s fascination with space.

When introduced in the U.S. in 1985, the name changed to Sour Patch Kids to tap into the Cabbage Patch Kids craze. The new name also highlights the candy’s signature sour-then-sweet taste.

Image: Cemrecan Yurtman

The 3 Musketeers bar got its name in 1932 from its original trio of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Each bar came in three separate pieces, echoing the "three" theme.

The name also nodded to the popular novel The Three Musketeers. During World War II, rising costs of sugar and fruit led to the discontinuation of strawberry and vanilla, leaving only chocolate—the version we still enjoy today.

Image: Alan Pope

The Milky Way bar was named after a popular malted milk drink from the 1920s, not the galaxy.

The name was meant to suggest a creamy, rich flavor, echoing the appeal of the drink that inspired it.

Image: Jonathan J. Castellon

Skittles were named after the old European game of skittles, similar to bowling. The candy's round shape was the connection with the original game.

First produced in the UK in 1974 by a British distributor for Mars, Inc., the name was likely chosen to convey fun and flavor variety.

Image: Erik Mclean

The PayDay bar got its name because it was first made on—yes, you guessed it—a payday at the Hollywood Candy Company. The timing inspired the name, which stuck.

Introduced in 1932 during the Great Depression, it was marketed as an affordable, energy-packed snack. With its combination of peanuts and caramel, it offered real substance, which can be a metaphor for a little "payday" in candy form.

Image: Louis Hansel

Anyone would be forgiven for thinking that the Baby Ruth bar was named after baseball legend Babe Ruth—but that’s not the case. The candy does indeed sound like it could honor the sports icon, but the Curtiss Candy Company claimed otherwise.

They stated that it was named after Ruth Cleveland, the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.

Image: NATasha Nguyen

The 100 Grand bar was originally called the $100,000 Bar, inspired by quiz shows with big prizes, such as The $64,000 Question.

In the mid-1980s, Nestlé renamed it 100 Grand, likely to ease trademark issues and generate a greater appeal by simplifying the name.

Image: Petr Magera

The name Twix is a blend of the words "twin" and "sticks," referring to its two chocolate-covered biscuit bars. It was first released in the UK in 1967 under the name Raider.

When introduced in the U.S. in 1979, the bar was renamed Twix. The twin-bar design later inspired the playful "Left vs. Right Twix" advertising campaign.

Mysteries of the brain

Why do we suddenly forget certain words? The "tip of the tongue" effect

You’re talking with friends, everything is flowing perfectly… but then it happens. The name of that actor from a classic movie, or even something as simple as a familiar word, suddenly disappears. You can almost feel it there, but you just can’t say it. And it’s not just you. This happens to everyone, and there’s even a name for it. It’s called the "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon, and here you'll discover why your brain does this and what you can do when it happens.

It’s probably happened to you, too: you’re seconds away from remembering a word, you can almost grab it, but it slips away. That frustrating mental pause is called the "tip-of-the-tongue" (TOT) phenomenon, also known as lethologica.

According to cognitive neuroscience research published by the National Library of Medicine, it’s a temporary moment when a perfectly familiar word, one you absolutely know and understand, refuses to fully come forward in your mind and your mouth. In simple terms, your brain has the meaning, but can’t quite pull up the sound of the word.

If this happens to you often, don’t worry. The "tip-of-the-tongue" (TOT) effect is not a sign of a failing memory. Simply put, it’s not a malfunction; it’s more like a system getting momentarily crowded.

According to one of the theories that explains this phenomenon, you don’t forget words because you don’t know them, but because your brain knows too many words. When you try to pull out one specific term, other words can briefly "block it" from coming. The more you know, the more your brain has to sift through, and sometimes the right word gets momentarily stuck.

Sometimes you briefly forget a word simply because you haven’t used it in a while. If a term isn’t part of your regular conversation, the "path" to saying it isn’t as well-worn.

A widely accepted scientific explanation, known as the "Transmission Deficit Hypothesis", adds to this idea. It suggests that the brain can easily retrieve the meaning of a word, but has more difficulty pulling up its sound at the same time. Basically, you don’t lose the word itself; you just momentarily lose access to how to say it.

Among the words most often "affected" by the TOT, names of people and places tend to be the first to slip away. And that’s not a coincidence.

Unlike everyday words like "car" or "house," proper names have fewer mental connections. Each name is unique in sound and meaning, with almost no similar words to "pull" it into memory. In essence, common words are tied to a web of associations we use every day, while names are more isolated in the brain, making them harder to grab when you suddenly need them after a while.

It’s ironic, but the more you try to remember that word or name, the harder it becomes. And it’s not just a feeling; it’s something well documented.

The moment you realize you can’t recall it, a bit of frustration and anxiety naturally kicks in. According to psychology and cognitive neuroscience, stress can actually interfere with memory, as it further blocks the neural pathways to vocabulary. Often, the best way to get it back is simply relaxing and letting it go for a moment.

It seems that when you finally give up and decide to stop chasing the word because it just won’t come, out of nowhere, it suddenly pops into your head.

Since stress and frustration can block memory retrieval, the key is often to stop forcing it. The so-called "let it go" strategy is exactly that: shift your attention to something else, talk about a different topic, or simply move on as if it doesn’t matter. And then, when you least expect it, the word returns on its own.

The strategy of shifting your attention for a moment works surprisingly well, but it’s not the only trick that can help. There’s another simple method people often use when a word just won’t appear.

It’s called the "alphabet trick," a basic memory exercise where you slowly go through the letters of the alphabet, sometimes in your head, sometimes out loud, one by one. The idea is that the single sound of a letter can "trigger" the missing word. For example, if you’re trying to remember the name of Diane Keaton, by the time you reach "D," there’s a good chance it suddenly pops back in your mind.

And it’s not just the sound of the letters that can help you recover a forgotten word or name. You can also get there through its meaning.

When TOT happens, it’s often recommended to start circling the idea instead of chasing the exact word. Think of related terms, synonyms, or simply describe what you’re trying to name: what it does, what it looks like, where you heard it, or who you associate it with. All of those mental clues can guide your brain to the word you were looking for, often when you don’t try so hard to force it.

Another way to train your brain when it comes to vocabulary is simple, but powerful: challenge it regularly. How? Word games like crossword puzzles, Scattergories, or quick spelling challenges are not just fun, they’re real mental exercises. In fact, they can stimulate your recall even more than passive reading.

It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true. Every time you force your brain to search for meanings, patterns, or exact word forms, you’re essentially practicing for those TOT moments, so the next time a word disappears, your mind finds it faster.

Word games are great, there’s no doubt about it. However, when we talk about "exercise," we’re not just referring to mental workouts.

Science has shown a clear connection between aerobic activity, sleep quality, and how well the brain processes language. Staying physically active, moving throughout the day, and getting a solid night’s sleep all work together to support brain health, especially memory. So yes, if you take care of both mind and body, those frustrating "what is that word?" moments can become less frequent.