🥜
Peanuts
/ˈpiːnʌts/
Definitions
1
Food · Snack
Common
Represents peanuts, a legume often consumed as a snack, ingredient in cooking, or processed into peanut butter. Used to indicate food preferences or discuss eating habits.
Commonly used in food contexts, recipe sharing, or discussing dietary preferences. Often appears in grocery lists or meal planning conversations.
Bringing snacks to the game tonight 🥜 🍿 🥤
Social media post
Made Thai peanut sauce from scratch! 🥜 🌶️ 🍜
Food blog post
In Western cultures, peanuts are associated with baseball games, circuses, and casual snacking. Also commonly referenced in allergy warnings.
2
Slang · Metaphorical
Uncommon
Used metaphorically to indicate something trivial, insignificant, or easy to accomplish. Derives from phrases like 'working for peanuts' or 'that's peanuts' meaning small compensation or effort.
More common in American English in casual conversation. Sometimes used to minimize the difficulty of a task or the importance of an amount.
That assignment was 🥜 compared to last week's project
Text message
The metaphorical use connects to circus history where peanuts were cheap snacks, leading to the expression 'working for peanuts' meaning low pay.
Evolution Timeline
2017
Introduction of the peanut emoji in Unicode 10.0, filling a gap in food emoji options
Growing demand for diverse food emojis reflecting global cuisines and dietary preferences
2018
Increased usage in allergy awareness contexts as food allergy discussions became more prominent online
Rising public awareness about severe peanut allergies and accommodation in public spaces
Cultural Context
Despite the name, peanuts are technically legumes, not nuts. Their association with circus culture stems from vendors selling them as cheap snacks, leading to the phrase 'peanut gallery' for cheaper seats.
The expression 'working for peanuts' (meaning low pay) originated from circus workers who were sometimes paid partly in peanuts they could sell to audiences.
Peanuts have complex social significance as both a humble, accessible snack and a potentially deadly allergen that has shaped school policies and public health approaches.
Regional Variations
United Kingdom
More commonly associated with pub snacks and packaged nuts rather than sporting events.
United States
Strongly associated with baseball culture and Southern cuisine. The metaphorical 'peanuts' meaning (trivial/insignificant) is more common.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Primarily used literally to represent the food item. Less likely to use the emoji for metaphorical meanings.
Gen_Z: Often used in food posts, recipe videos, and occasionally as slang for something easy or trivial. Sometimes used in allergy-related contexts.
Older: Limited usage, primarily in food contexts when discussing recipes or meals. Rarely used for metaphorical meanings.
Millennials: Commonly used in cooking content, recipe sharing, and health/fitness discussions about protein sources. Used metaphorically in work contexts.
Common Combinations
🥜🧈
Peanut butter, a popular spread made from ground peanuts
Staple food in American households, especially for children's lunches
🥜⚾
Baseball game experience or tradition of eating peanuts at ballparks
References the American tradition of eating peanuts at baseball games
🥜⚠️
Peanut allergy warning or allergen alert
Used in contexts related to food safety and allergy awareness