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Meaning of Gooseberry



 
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Meaning of Gooseberry #1 (permalink) Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:24 am   Meaning of Gooseberry		  
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?
Advoca
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Prickles? #2 (permalink) Sun Oct 12, 2003 8:05 am   Prickles?		  
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...
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Origin obscure... #3 (permalink) Sun Oct 12, 2003 8:48 am   Origin obscure...		  
Advoca wrote:
Can anyone tell me why the word 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?

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.
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Gooseberry #4 (permalink) Tue Oct 14, 2003 18:41 pm   Gooseberry		  
Smile
*laugh*
If gooseberry is an euphemism for the devil, I would like to be one.

Best wishes
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