eli5 Why are pickled cucumbers “Pickles” and other pickled things are “Pickled X”?

Question

Were cucumbers the first vegetable to ever be pickled? Wondering how they got the distinction

In: 6

Answer 1

Because it’s the most common item that is pickled. In the US, that’s pickled cucumbers. In other places that pickle other items more commonly, it can refer to those things instead.