# What is a peanut? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-peanut/366029 "2006-07-26T01:01:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dpimi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Dpimi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dpimi)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-peanut/366029/21 "2006-07-27T22:39:23Z")
sorry for got to put my 🙂 in the above comment. It was a joke ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-peanut/366029/22 "2006-07-27T23:08:54Z")
[QUOTE=Dpimi] Goober Peas [/QUOTE] [Goodness, how delicious!](http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/gooberp.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-peanut/366029/23 "2006-07-27T23:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=Dpimi] No one mentioned that peanuts are not the RIGHT name. Goober Peas are the correct name for the so called “Peanuts.” [/QUOTE] How is that the “right” name? [QUOTE=O.E.D. on ‘peanut’] orig. U.S. The fruit or pod of the leguminous plant Arachis hypogæa (subfamily Papilionoideæ), which becomes buried beneath the soil as it ripens 1802 W. IRVING Lett. Jonathan Oldstyle in Morning Chron. (N.Y.) 1 Dec. 2/5, I amused myself with eating pea-nuts. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=O.E.D. on ‘goober’] The peanut, Arachis hypogæa. 1833 Louisville Publ. Advt. 7 Nov., A few bags Gouber Pea, or Ground Pea [for sale]. [/QUOTE] Looks like “peanut” has about thirty years’ precedence over “goober”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-peanut/366029.md?page=1)