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)