In Southern and Appalachian speech, roasting ears - often slurred to roastnears - refers to fresh green corn on the cob, especially sweet corn, picked early for eating rather than drying.
Growin' up, we'd grab some 'roastnears' out of the garden - and that's what we called them. I would say it's more of a country thing. You don't have to roast them though - they're pretty good eatin' fresh (once you get the corn silk off).
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Growin' up, we'd grab some 'roastnears' out of the garden - and that's what we called them. I would say it's more of a country thing. You don't have to roast them though - they're pretty good eatin' fresh (once you get the corn silk off).
Get that pot ready - Papaw’s bringing in the roastnears.
Junior:
I’ll shuck ‘em right quick.
variations: roasting ears, roastnears, roastneer corn, fresh green corn
★ "Roasting ears" distinguished corn you’d eat right away from field corn saved for drying. In Appalachian speech it naturally contracted to "roastnears," much like "y’all" for "you all." ★
Origin and Etymology
Documented in Appalachian and Southern speech since at least the 19th century. "Roasting ears" was the standard rural term for fresh sweet corn, and "roastnears" or "roas’nears" arose as a dialect pronunciation. Appears widely in oral histories, cookbooks, and folklore collections from Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and the Carolinas.
Usage Notes
Roasting ears - traditional term for fresh green corn on the cob, especially before the sugar hardens.
Roastnears - Appalachian dialect contraction still heard in rural speech and old family recipes.
Common meal pairing: "Roastnears & Beans" - a classic summer supper in the mountains.
Outside the South/Appalachia, people usually just say "corn on the cob" or "sweet corn."
Often evokes nostalgia for garden harvests and home cooking.
Does "roastnears" mean something different from "roasting ears"?
No - it’s simply the Appalachian dialect form of the same term.
Where is it most common?
Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and throughout the rural South and Appalachia.
Do people still say it?
Yes - among older speakers, gardeners, and in family recipes or church cookbooks.
How to Cite This Page
APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 5). Roasting Ears. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/roasting-ears
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Roasting Ears." HillbillySlang.com, 5 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/roasting-ears.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Roasting Ears." HillbillySlang.com. October 5, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/roasting-ears.
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Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
Growin' up, we'd grab some 'roastnears' out of the garden - and that's what we called them. I would say it's more of a country thing. You don't have to roast them though - they're pretty good eatin' fresh (once you get the corn silk off). 
