# When is the last time you ate circus peanuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045 "2017-10-05T18:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/41 "2017-10-08T02:18:37Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > I agree. But you can’t trust my candy taste, because I also love licorice and those delectable clove-flavored Neccos. Ah that makes your candy taste impeccable. Be **PROUD** of liking licorice, the flavor that strengthens and fortifies even more, those of us hearty enough to indulge in it and shrink not!! before those too weak to withstand the flavor of Ambrosia From The [SIZE=“6”]GODS![/SIZE] Re the OP, haven’t had them in years, but as a child they were ubiquitous at Gramma and Grampa’s house and I loved them to the point of over-indulgence. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/42 "2017-10-08T02:26:23Z")
You know, it just occurred to me to be surprised that nobody has said “once, in 1960, for 20 minutes.” (And now I see I should have read a few of the most recent posts before saying this.) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/43 "2017-10-08T14:23:41Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Circus peanuts are awesome!!! There’s nothing with the same mouth feel on the planet, not to mention the curiously chemical taste… 😃 Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word ‘awsome’ that I wasn’t previously aware of. Like a lot of previous responses, at grandma’s when I was too young to know better, so (mumble-mumble) decades. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/44 "2017-10-08T16:29:07Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word ‘awsome’ that I wasn’t previously aware of. Awesome: adjective, extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, **apprehension, or fear**. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/45 "2017-10-08T18:06:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > As a follow-up to [“When is the last time you ate liver and onions?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=808358) and [“When is the last time you ate creamed beef on toast (shit on a shingle)?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=808661) and the holiday-themed [“When is the last time you drank egg nog?”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813784), I present “When is the last time you ate circus peanuts?” > > As we approach the season of candy, candy and more candy, I got to thinking about the most polarizing candy around, and I settled upon circus peanuts. > > So when’s the last time you had one? Circus per se? Probably 50+ years ago. Now if we throw ballpark peanuts into the mix, that would at least three times this season. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/46 "2017-10-08T19:12:31Z")
Over 10 years ago. I wish it was never. Although Circus Peanuts have a special place in my heart because of a girl I am(was) friends with in college. She would walk into my room and ask the weirdest requests. She once asked for Diet Coke (why two guys would have that I’ll never know) and, by far, the oddest she asked was if we had circus peanuts. Our reaction was “What? Hell no, why would we just randomly have those around…where do they even sell them anymore?” Funny times. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/47 "2017-10-08T19:32:13Z")
They were never in my house (my parents must not have liked them, though they liked other types of candy); never in the homes of my friends, and I never got them for Halloween. So I never tried them before reaching the age of reason. And _after_ reaching the age of reason, obviously I wouldn’t have been interested in trying them. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/48 "2017-10-08T19:40:32Z")
True confessions: Sometimes I will buy a bag of circus peanuts on purpose. :o It’s a nostalgia thing. They taste good if you don’t eat too many (two is about my limit). If you eat too many, they’re disgusting. I like to take a bite and let it kind of melt in my mouth. The texture is intriguing…there’s nothing else really like it. They shouldn’t be hard–for those people who had hard, tasteless circus peanuts at grandma’s house, maybe grandma left them in the candy dish too long and they got stale. Fresh circus peanuts are better than that. They’re softer than the marshmallows in cereal, so if you like those, you’ll probably be okay with circus peanuts. I also like those pink wintergreen lozenge things. FYI they’re made by NECCO, so they’re the same flavor as the wintergreen NECCO wafer. I’m off to look for a recipe for the circus peanut jello mold! I have a potluck in about two weeks, so now I know what I’m taking. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/49 "2017-10-08T21:03:26Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I had to google what the hell they even are: so never. > > I’ve never heard of them in Canada. That makes two of us, except I’m not in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/50 "2017-10-08T21:06:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That makes two of us, except I’m not in Canada. Three. Australian here. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/51 "2017-10-09T16:30:39Z")
I legitimately like them, there’s something about the texture that appeals to me. But I seemingly can’t be bothered to buy them for myself. I saw a mention of peppermint circus peanuts last holiday season and would totally have bought those if I ever saw them at the store. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/52 "2018-08-08T20:19:48Z")
Bumped. They’re not my favorite candy, but I like 'em every once in awhile. I probably have a bag once or twice a year, on average. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/53 "2018-08-09T01:19:09Z")
Circus peanuts are like Peeps. Both are best when well staled. However, it’s hard to get them stale here in south Georgia due to year-round high humidity. How stale is good and stale? Lucky Charms marshmallow bits texture is a good goal. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/54 "2018-08-09T02:29:38Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > … So when’s the last time you had one? I take a couple of small paper bowls to hoity-toity faculty potlucks, and surreptitiously fill them with Circus Peanuts, Runts, and Sour Neon Gummy Worms. They look so refined, a stylistic contrast to the pheasant liver paté and the watercress-wrapped dates. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/55 "2018-08-09T02:55:34Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I take a couple of small paper bowls to hoity-toity faculty potlucks, and surreptitiously fill them with Circus Peanuts, Runts, and Sour Neon Gummy Worms. They look so refined, a stylistic contrast to the pheasant liver paté and the watercress-wrapped dates. That’s really funny. I am gonna steal this idea from you, yes I am:) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/56 "2018-08-09T04:56:16Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > That’s really funny. I am gonna steal this idea from you, yes I am:) Yes!!! Today we are two, tomorrow a collective, by next weekend, a farce to be wrekoned with! Watch the mailbox for your initiation: a dollar-store-size bag of Circus Peanuts (pre-staled and pocket-linted). - ETA: I’ve always wanted to sneak into the kitchen and lift a couple of the hostess’s own fancy china bowls for “the colorful stuff”, but have never found extras where I could pilfer them.\* ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045/57 "2018-08-09T13:05:29Z")
Before my dad died. He loved them, and always had them around. Not had them since. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-the-last-time-you-ate-circus-peanuts/798045.md?page=2)