# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/21 "2012-10-22T22:44:58Z")
The only thing I can think of that is regularly compared to the size of a peanut is a person’s brain. In that case, I imagine a cartoon peanut (shell and all) inside the person’s head. On the other hand, if you said something like “a chickpea is the size of a peanut”, I’d think you meant without the shell. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/22 "2012-10-22T22:47:19Z")
If someone says “peanut”, without giving it any more thought I envision the “tasty inner nugget”. ---
**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, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/23 "2012-10-22T22:51:49Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > If someone says “peanut”, without giving it any more thought I envision the “tasty inner nugget”. Well in your case I’d expect as much…but you’re obviously biased 🙂 ---
**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, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/24 "2012-10-22T22:56:25Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > The only thing I can think of that is regularly compared to the size of a peanut is a person’s brain. In that case, I imagine a cartoon peanut (shell and all) inside the person’s head. The discussion last night revolved around one of our cats doing something stupid, after which I referred (lovingly, I assure you) to his little peanut brain. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/25 "2012-10-23T00:17:19Z")
Peanut I think the size of the shell because that is the way I usually see them. Pea I think of the small green ball because that is the way I usually see them. A peanut is bigger than a pea. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/26 "2012-10-23T00:17:47Z")
Another vote for the whole shell. Like **hogarth** says, usually a cartoon peanut in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/27 "2012-10-23T01:31:27Z")
It’s not a clear win for either side (as the poll results indicate.) It’s often context sensitive. A wart the size of a peanut is bigger than a pea, but not an inch long. There aren’t many things I’d compare to the size of a peanut shell, due to it’s odd shape. Maybe a caterpillar or a beetle. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/28 "2012-10-23T01:47:55Z")
My gut reaction is whole shell, even if individual nut does seem more logical. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/29 "2012-10-23T02:50:59Z")
If the size is being used for general reference as in “his package was the size of a peanut”, I would just assume it to be referencing very small. If I were describing very specifically a thing of a certain size, I would maybe use bean instead of peanut if I were talking about a single nut. If I were referencing something the size of a peanut in it’s shell, I would likely reference the size of a thumb, or child’s thumb. Semantically speaking, I guess with the shell on it’s (usually) a pair of peanuts and some casing. Perhaps the next step up is circus peanut? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/30 "2012-10-23T03:29:13Z")
I think of the size of a shelled peanut–like out of a can of nuts. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/31 "2012-10-23T04:41:40Z")
I’ve noticed a lot of people nickname their unborn children “Peanut” in utero. I always assume this is because when they went in for their first sonogram, when they asked how big it was the doctor said “the size of a peanut.” They think “Ooooo, it’s a cute little peanut” (when in reality it’s a terrifying parasitic fish-monkey) and then a few months later they’re talking about how “Peanut” is really kicking today. They don’t realize that there are 3 other people on my Facebook wall with the same fetal nickname. When they say that, I imagine they mean “the whole peanut,” because a whole peanut is shaped sort of like a fetus. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/32 "2012-10-23T05:59:42Z")
the peanut-shaped styrofoam packing bits are shaped like a whole peanut, shells and all. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/33 "2012-10-23T06:23:47Z")
It’s a tough call, but I’m leaning toward the individual nuts that you’d get in a jar . . . only because that’s the way most people get them (unless, like me, they’re addicted to Five Guys). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/34 "2012-10-23T11:15:43Z")
I picture the individual nuts, but I think picturing the whole shell is more logical, for a reason given above: there’s otherwise no real difference between peanut-sized and pea-sized. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566/35 "2012-10-23T11:48:06Z")
The entire ground nut, shell and all, beause otherwise it would be the size of a peanut kernel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanut-sized/638566.md?page=1)