# Pineapple **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180 "2008-04-06T14:11:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/1 "2008-04-06T14:11:25Z")
I’m eating some “fresh” pineapple that’s been cored but not sliced (I did the slicing) and packaged for individual sale in the produce section at Kroger. Good stuff. But I got to wondering if other fruits and vegetables may have gotten their names from being nice combinations of tastes and something else like the “pine” part of “pineapple.” Pineapples do look a bit like pine cones even though I have yet to see a pine cone the size of a pineapple, and the taste is a bit like an apple (at least a few varieties). And I have always wondered why they made hand grenades to be shaped like pineapples (though smaller). I put this in Cafe Society but don’t much care where it might get moved because of the paths it may take, but I would enjoy some exploration of All Things Pineapple as a way to start from a thread title and see what folks might have to say. I’m also content with the notion that the OP has said it all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/2 "2008-04-06T15:10:09Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] And I have always wondered why they made hand grenades to be shaped like pineapples [/QUOTE] Well the enemy sees the grenade and thinks it’s a pineapple, so they put it in their mouth and… (cue Warner Bros. music) [Actually](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_2_grenade): > [@](#): > > The Mk 2 was commonly known as a “pineapple” grenade, because of its distinctive shape. Grooves were cut into the cast iron shell to aid in gripping the grenade - this provision gave it the appearance of a pineapple fruit. A common misconception is that the grooves aided fragmentation of the grenade, which they do not. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/3 "2008-04-06T19:36:13Z")
That sure debunks what I always thought about grenades, **Johnny L.A.**. Other fruits and veggies with combination names that might have some parallels with pineapples: Crabapple Mock Orange (has anybody ever eaten one of these and lived to describe it?) Skunk cabbage Cauliflower (the _cauli_ part is for cabbage if my dictionary is telling the truth) Grapefruit (I’m sorry but I never saw the connection with grapes) Does anybody have a clue about Grape Nuts? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/4 "2008-04-06T19:58:24Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Cauliflower (the _cauli_ part is for cabbage if my dictionary is telling the truth) [/QUOTE] that’s right, it must be related to Dutch “Kool” and German “Kohl”. Cauliflower is “Bloemkool” in Dutch and “Blumenkohl” in German, or flowercabbage. I guess that, for a cabbage, cauliflower does look a lot like a flower. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/5 "2008-04-06T20:24:55Z")
[QUOTE=Švejk] that’s right, it must be related to Dutch “Kool” and German “Kohl”. Cauliflower is “Bloemkool” in Dutch and “Blumenkohl” in German, or flowercabbage. I guess that, for a cabbage, cauliflower does look a lot like a flower. [/QUOTE] Nice to know. Looking up _kohl_ led to _kohlrabi_ which is, etymologically at least, a combination of cabbage and turnip. Nice! Has me jonesing for some rutabaga. I lie. The _Kool_ connection has me wondering if some wit at the tobacco company pulled a fast one with the name _Kool_ for one of the early menthol cigarettes, when what he was really thinking was that they tasted like cabbage. Wonder if he was into rabbit tobacco… ---
**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:** [April 6, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/6 "2008-04-06T21:17:50Z")
Kumquats? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/7 "2008-04-06T21:22:03Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Kumquats? 😃 [/QUOTE] Yikes! I’m not even going to ask! Sounds raunchy, though. Whatever those other fruits and/or veggies are, I’ll stick with pine cones and apples. Come to think of it (no pun intended) I like pine nuts and lentils. Other varieties of apples that I may leave for others to try: Hedge Road Adam’s ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/8 "2008-04-06T21:32:57Z")
Speaking of fruits and grenades, I learned recently (on an Alton Brown show) that the pomegranate’s name in French is “la grenade,” and the explosive device was named for the fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/9 "2008-04-06T21:39:40Z")
[QUOTE=Švejk] I guess that, for a cabbage, cauliflower does look a lot like a flower. [/QUOTE] That’s because it is - a cabbage flower.Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and kohlrabi are all the same vegetable, with a few minor artificial modifications. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/10 "2008-04-06T21:41:03Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Speaking of fruits and grenades, I learned recently (on an Alton Brown show) that the pomegranate’s name in French is “la grenade,” and the explosive device was named for the fruit. [/QUOTE] Cool! For the longest time, when we kids used to love eating them, I thought they were Plum Grannies! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/11 "2008-04-06T22:57:52Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Does anybody have a clue about Grape Nuts? [/QUOTE] My best guess is that Grape nuts is simular to chompin down on grape seeds, but since it is edible, they refer to it as a nut(?) I dont know, but i love the crunchy little bastards ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/12 "2008-04-06T22:59:52Z")
[QUOTE=Pixilated] but since it is edible [/QUOTE] Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts _are_ edible. EDIT: OK, after looking for Euell Gibbons I found this: > [@](#): > > Neither grapes nor nuts have ever been ingredients in the cereal. The original formula for Grape-Nuts called for grape sugar, which is composed mostly of glucose unlike most other sugar sources and food sweeteners which are principally sucrose. This, combined with the “nutty” flavor of the cereal inspired its name. But some employees at Post claim that the cereal got its name because the tiny nuggets resemble grape seeds or grape “nuts”. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/13 "2008-04-06T23:02:57Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts _are_ edible. [/QUOTE] Thank you Mr. Gibbons! ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/14 "2008-04-07T01:59:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Pineapples do look a bit like pine cones even though I have yet to see a pine cone the size of a pineapple, and the taste is a bit like an apple (at least a few varieties). [/QUOTE] Sugar Pine pinecones are a lot bigger than a pineapple. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/15 "2008-04-07T02:34:59Z")
I scored this item a couple years ago at a junk shop in Milwaukee. [Pineapple grenade shell](http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/jnglmassiv/?action=view¤t=twinapplesMedium.jpg) It’s nearly impossible to not pick it up when you see it. It is very heavy and bigger than you might think. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/16 "2008-04-07T02:36:00Z")
[Pineapple](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pineapple) is an archaic name for a pine cone. The fruit is called that because it superficially resembles a pine cone, not because it tastes like an apple (which, IMHO, it does not). [Apple](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Apple) was simply a generic term for fruit, so pineapple = fruit of the pine tree. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/17 "2008-04-07T02:44:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Grapefruit (I’m sorry but I never saw the connection with grapes) [/QUOTE] Apparently [grapefruit](http://www.realbenidorm.net/images/grapefruit_tree.JPG) grows in clusters, which made someone think of bunches of grapes. It seems like a stretch, but I haven’t seen a better explanation. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/18 "2008-04-07T03:11:42Z")
Fine then, explain Mangosteen, I dare you! ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/19 "2008-04-07T03:18:24Z")
En francais, the word for ‘potato’ is _pomme de terre_ which translates to ‘apple of the earth’ or ‘ground apple’. Well it actually translates to ‘potato’ but you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180/20 "2008-04-07T03:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] Apparently [grapefruit](http://www.realbenidorm.net/images/grapefruit_tree.JPG) grows in clusters, which made someone think of bunches of grapes. It seems like a stretch, but I haven’t seen a better explanation. [/QUOTE] That’s nice to know. The only grapefruits I have ever seen were individual and nowhere near a tree. For that matter, except for photos of them, I’ve never seen any citrus fruits on trees. Apples, peaches, plums, crabapples, pears, persimmons, pecans, walnuts, but no citrus. Strawberries, blackberries, scuppernongs, muscadines, watermelons, cantaloupes and other vine fruits, but (as best I can recall) no wine or table grapes on the vine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pineapple/444180.md?page=2)