[meteorite-list] cabochon etymology

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:17:39 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4EFCF_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi Andre,

> As a point of interest, the word "cabochon" in French also means
> stubborn and/or incompetent.

Interesting (and humorous!). The etymology in English is caboche +
the suffix -on, caboche (caboge, cabage) referring to a head of
cabbage. In British informal, a "cabbage" is a stupid, dull or
spiritless person. (Perhaps one of our UK members can confirm.)
It can also mean a mentally impaired person who is unable to live
independently -- i.e. a vegetable. I'm bet some clever list member
can come up with humorous alternate expansions of the BCC abbreviation
involving cabbages... ;-) --R
Received on Thu 04 Dec 2003 05:04:34 PM PST