# Peanut sized. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566 "2012-10-22T21:14:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/1 "2012-10-22T21:14:22Z")
When I tell you it was the size of a peanut, what image comes to mind? The whole peanut shell before you crack it open, or the little tasty nut inside? Illustrations to help you make an informed decision: [Whole peanut.](http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/10000/velka/1-1193583744.jpg) [Tasty inner nugget.](http://img.21food.com/20110609/product/1305256054515.jpg) After a laughably long discussion on this subject last night, my husband and I have agreed to disagree. I say whole shell, and he says inner nut. What do you think? (poll on its way) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/2 "2012-10-22T21:18:32Z")
I agree with your husband. This was a topic at last month’s meeting. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/3 "2012-10-22T21:19:28Z")
Sorry, I agree with your husband. If I meant the whole thing, I’d probably say: ‘the size of a peanut shell’. ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/4 "2012-10-22T21:21:21Z")
The whole peanut image came to mind upon reading your title. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/5 "2012-10-22T21:22:29Z")
I saw a shell ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/6 "2012-10-22T21:24:38Z")
I’ve always thought of it as the whole shell. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/7 "2012-10-22T21:29:48Z")
My first thought was of the whole peanut, complete with shell. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/8 "2012-10-22T21:32:57Z")
[This size.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Mr_Peanut_Sculpture_on_Bench_at_Atlantic_City_01.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/9 "2012-10-22T21:33:23Z")
Peanut, sans shell. Quick - how big is “pea sized”? Surely you’re not thinking of [this](http://www.bonappetit.com/images/tips_tools_ingredients/ingredients/2008/11/ttar_sugarsnap%20peas_v.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/10 "2012-10-22T21:38:41Z")
Are there not two peanuts inside each shell? So when you say “size of a peanut” I think of A peanut, not the shell containing two. Y’know, the ones that are sold in bags labelled “peanuts”. And the wording of your question is bias. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/11 "2012-10-22T21:41:34Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Quick - how big is “pea sized”? Surely you’re not thinking of [this](http://www.bonappetit.com/images/tips_tools_ingredients/ingredients/2008/11/ttar_sugarsnap%20peas_v.jpg). You do have a valid point. Maybe it’s because the vast majority of my encounters with “peas” have involved [these guys](http://www.veggiebelly.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/frozen-green-peas.jpg), so it’s the default image in my mind. Besides, a naked (out of the shell) peanut is so close to pea-sized, that if someone said “peanut-sized” and meant the little peanut, I’d wonder why they didn’t just go with peas. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/12 "2012-10-22T21:44:38Z")
I thought of the shell. Logic be damned! ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/13 "2012-10-22T21:45:36Z")
To be precise it’s 6 7/8. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/14 "2012-10-22T21:48:21Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > And the wording of your question is bias. I suppose you mean the part where I say “the whole peanut (shell)”? I just didn’t know what else to call it. If you see _one_ of [these](http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/10000/velka/1-1193583744.jpg) on the table, will you say “oh look, peanut **s**?” I’m pretty sure most folks would look at it and call it “a peanut”. But then, if it was one of [these](http://cdn.nuts.com/images/auto/801x534/assets/1a8f816738ffc617.jpg) on the table, people would also say “a peanut”. That’s why I’m asking the question. Both can be safely called “a peanut” - I’m trying to see which of the possibilities is first to pop into people’s minds when the word is given to them. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/15 "2012-10-22T21:49:37Z")
Judging from [this pic](http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/JeffDunham0.jpg), I’d say about two feet. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/16 "2012-10-22T21:59:11Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything compared to the size of a peanut before. Peas, yes, but… ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/17 "2012-10-22T22:01:13Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Y’know, the ones that are sold in bags labelled “peanuts”. You mean, like [this](http://www.toucandy.com/images/P/0000090068.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/18 "2012-10-22T22:08:05Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything compared to the size of a peanut before. Peas, yes, but… Lumps. Breast, ovarian, hemorrhoids, fibroids, tumors, cysts…any lump will inevitably be described as \_\_\_\_\_\_ sized. Lumps apparently come in (in ascending order): pea sized, peanut sized, the size of a ping-pong ball (never “ping-pong ball sized”), golf ball sized, baseball sized, softball sized, grapefruit sized and the size of a basketball. Any bigger than a basketball, and people just tell you in pounds. “A 23 pound tumor! Fekkin’ 23 _pounds_!” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/19 "2012-10-22T22:20:08Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Lumps. > > Breast, ovarian, hemorrhoids, fibroids, tumors, cysts…any lump will inevitably be described as \_\_\_\_\_\_ sized. > > Lumps apparently come in (in ascending order): pea sized, peanut sized, the size of a ping-pong ball (never “ping-pong ball sized”), golf ball sized, baseball sized, softball sized, grapefruit sized and the size of a basketball. > > Any bigger than a basketball, and people just tell you in pounds. “A 23 pound tumor! Fekkin’ 23 _pounds_!” Um, no. Tumors and the like are all compared to fruit. Hail is compared to sports equipment. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/20 "2012-10-22T22:26:47Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Hail is compared to sports equipment. We’re expecting pommel-horse sized hail, so if you have a subway tunnel to take shelter in, I strongly advise it. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566.md?page=2)