Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:29:05 -0400
From: Seth Sklarey crissiet[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IPOF.FLA.NET
Subject: Re: green/string beans
Thanks for the explanation, Rima. Around here they are definitely
"string beans," though I recognize "green beans" as a variant (whereas,
for example, both "green onion" and "spring onion" feel like alien
terms for what I call "scallions"), but they have no strings, which
is convenient.
My mother always said "string beans" and also scallions. It was a while
before I more often than not said green beans and green onions. Spring
onions still sound alien to me too. I also grew up with chick peas - and
it was quite a while before I realized that garbanzos were the same thing.
Rima
In the Bahmama they have pigeon peas, which appear to be a small green pea
but not as developed. Peanuts in the south are called goober peas. The
green giant in the 1960's wanted peas on earth. The way to catch a polar bear
is to cut a hole in the ice, the diameter of a polar bear, and circle the
perimeter with green peas. When the polar bear comes up to take a pea, you
hit it in the head.
Seth