Date: Sun, 8 Oct 1995 16:42:03 -0500

From: Natalie Maynor maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU

Subject: Re: PEAS



what most Americans probably just call "peas." Because in the South (and this

was true in my childhood, in southern Oklahoma with Arkansas parentage),

"peas" standing alone is likely to be understood as black-eyed peas; the less

common green things must be distinguished as "green peas" or "English peas."



No. "Peas" alone doesn't automatically mean black-eyed peas. "Peas" is

the name of a category of food, not a specific kind. In a clear context,

like in a cafeteria line that offers only one kind of peas, it would be

ok to say "peas," but normally a Southerner would specify English peas

or black-eyed peas or lady peas or crowder peas or field peas or whatever.

--Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)