We've been talking about arachibutyrophobia, meaning something along the lines of 'fear of peanut butter'.
But I seem to recall that the peanut isn't a nut; it's a legume.
What's the difference?
March 27, 2006, 19:55
Kalleh
I am not sure, but from this discussion I thought peanut butter came from a peanut.
March 28, 2006, 01:48
BobHale
I'm recalling my information from watching QI, a humourous quiz that takes pedantry to new heights and this question came up on there. As I recall they too said that peanuts are not, botanically speaking, technically a nut at all. I think they said they are a legume but I'm not certain of that bit.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 28, 2006, 02:15
Caterwauller
Kalleh - a common project in elementary schools around here is to make peanut butter. The put a mess of shelled peanuts in a blender and, well, puree them. Then they add salt until it tastes right.
My own son, however, doesn't like PB because he basically doesn't like nuts of any kind. I'm not sure why. I love nuts!
******* "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. ~Dalai Lama
March 28, 2006, 03:18
arnie
quote:
But I seem to recall that the peanut isn't a nut; it's a legume.
Quite right. Hence the name "groundnut". See Wikipedia.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
March 28, 2006, 20:42
Kalleh
quote:
I love nuts!
Why am I not surprised?
March 29, 2006, 19:12
tinman
Botanically speaking, a nut is a hard, dry, indehiscent fruit containing a single seed, often wholly or partly enclosed by a husk, or involucre. A legume is a soft-shelled, dry, dehiscent (usually), fruit containg two or more seeds, not enclosed in a involucre.
