roasting ears
Fresh corn on the cob, ready to eat.
Also called roastnears, roas'n'ears, roastin' ears.
Updated September 24, 2026
roasting ears pronunciation
/ROASH-neerz/
Meaning
Roasting ears are young ears of corn picked for the table, not left to dry as field corn. You can roast them, boil them, or grill them in the shuck. Mountain talk often smashes the phrase into one wad of sound: roastnears, roas'n'ears, rosnears. Same mess of buttered corn either way.
How folks use it
- “Go pull a dozen roasting ears before the raccoons beat you to it.”
- “Supper's roasting ears, beans, and whatever meat's left in the fridge.”
Origin and etymology
Named for cooking sweet corn by roasting, an old American farm term. Southern and Appalachian speech kept the phrase and compressed the pronunciation. It marked eating corn apart from corn saved for feed or meal.
Frequently asked questions
Do roasting ears have to be roasted?
No. Plenty of folks boil or grill them. The name stuck from the old roasting habit.