Swimmer963 comments on The True Rejection Challenge - Less Wrong

43 Post author: Alicorn 27 June 2011 07:18AM

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Comment author: NancyLebovitz 28 June 2011 08:16:47AM 0 points [-]

In English, capsicum is what makes hot peppers hot. The large peppers that aren't hot are called peppers, sweet peppers or bell peppers.

Comment author: gjm 28 June 2011 08:28:56AM 0 points [-]

There's a divergence between American English and British English here; in BrE "capsicum" can mean a bell pepper, but in AmE it only means a chilli pepper. (In neither does "capsicum" mean the substance that gives the hot peppers their hotness; that's called capsaicin, capsicin, or capsicine.)

Comment author: Alicorn 28 June 2011 08:26:49AM 0 points [-]

Capsaicin is the chemical that makes peppers hot; capsicum is a genus.