Can anyone tell me why meaning of word Gooseberry goosebery is used when describing the behiour of a third person pushing into the company of a couple who want to be alone?
Why gooseberry?
Maybe, it’s because a goosberry has prickles and therefore nobody wants to touch it - so a person nobody wants to work or deal with is like a goosberry. Just my musing…
An interesting one!
Most of my reference books don’t seem to have much on this expression and simply say «origin obscure», which means they don’t know!
The only explanation I’ve come up with is that «gooseberry» was a euphemism for the devil and clearly this would make sense.
The devil is naturally an unwanted third party.
laugh
If gooseberry is an euphemism for the devil, I would like to be one.
Best wishes
:twisted: teufelchen53
I like this “new word”. I’m sure it will be useful :-))
I have also come across the suggestion that ‘gooseberry’ is a euphemism for the devil.
Another suggestion is that ‘gooseberry picking’ was an act that a chaperone might ostensibly have been involved in. in order to offer the two sweethearts a little privacy. It seems that an early 19Century term for a chaperone was ‘gooseberry -picker.’
Or - A gooseberry stands out because it is sour…
another one (which nobody really knows) is …
Why is a 99(ice cream) called a 99?
Crikey I thought you had it for a minute Bev
Best I heard so far was some Italian leader had some special guard of 99 men so 99 signified special - My useless guess is someone just thought “99 is a big number” lets use that - which meant it had absolutely nothing to do with the flake. 