Apparently ”Gooseberry bush” was 19th-century
slang for pubic hair
– and so: ”Born under a gooseberry bush. ” became an innocuous (and humorous to adults) way of answering a child’s question, “Where do I/babies come from?”
Where does the expression playing gooseberry come from?
When ‘play gooseberry’ was coined,
in 19th century England
, it referred to someone acting as a chaperone to a couple. It was widely accepted in middle class circles that it would be improper for a woman of good character to be alone with a man of marriageable age.
What does calling someone a gooseberry mean?
UK informal (also feel like a gooseberry) to
be an unwanted third person who is present
when two other people, especially two people having a romantic relationship, want to be alone. Too much and unnecessary.
Why is a gooseberry a third wheel?
gooseberry is very much like being referred to as “the third wheel.” her own date. It’s because
in Victorian England, people used to say that babies are found under gooseberry bushes, when avoiding telling children about sex
.
Why are my gooseberry bushes dying?
They are
very sensitive to any potash deficiency in the soil
, this is indicated by the leaves of the plants turning brown around their edges. If the lack of potash is not dealt with the bushes will eventually stop producing gooseberries.
Why are gooseberries illegal?
Why were gooseberries illegal? Gooseberries were once banned in the U.S.
because they contributed to a tree-killing disease called “white pine blister rust”
that was decimating these trees. It had a huge impact on white pine lumber-reliant economies like Maine.
What does it mean to feel like a gooseberry?
UK informal (also feel like a gooseberry)
to be an unwanted third person who is present when two other people
, especially two people having a romantic relationship, want to be alone.
What is the meaning of idiom go bananas?
:
to become very excited or angry The crowd went bananas when the concert began
.
What does the idiom shake a leg mean?
used to tell someone to hurry or act more quickly: Come on, Nick, shake a leg or
we’ll never be ready in time
.
What is the taste of gooseberry?
Their flavor ranges from
quite sour to relatively sweet
, a little bit like slightly underripe grapes. The riper the fruit, the sweeter it becomes. Some gooseberries are very tart, so if you want to eat them fresh look for sweeter varieties, such as Whinham’s Industry, Captivator, or Martlet.
What does third wheel mean?
A third wheel is
someone who is unnecessary to a group and is tagging along
. In this case, the group usually consists of a couple and the third, superfluous person. The term third wheel is a misrepresentation of the term fifth wheel, as fifth wheel does not refer to any particular number of people in a group.
What can I do with gooseberries?
Gooseberries are often added to
drinks and desserts
as a compote or purée, as well as being made into jams, chutneys and sauces in savoury dishes. They pair especially well with other seasonal fruits such as elderflowers and strawberries, along with citrus fruits.
How do you pronounce goose berry?
- Break ‘gooseberry’ down into sounds: [GUUZ] + [BUH] + [REE] – say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
- Record yourself saying ‘gooseberry’ in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen.
What is wrong with my gooseberry bush?
PESTS AND DISEASES OF GOOSEBERRIES. There are two main causes of failure with gooseberry bushes, the
Gooseberry Sawfly and mildew
, principally American Gooseberry Mildew. If birds, particularly blue tits and great tits, are in your garden then you may have a third cause of failure!
Why has my Gooseberry Bush lost all its leaves?
Gooseberry Sawfly
It is not so much the adult flies, but the larvae that do the majority of the damage. Once the larvae are on your plant, they will
begin to eat away at the leaves
until such time as they have stripped away all of the leaves leaving only the skeleton of the leaves.
How do I get rid of Gooseberry Sawfly?
How Do I get rid of Gooseberry Sawfly? Organically, you can get rid of them by spraying
Neem oil, Garlic spray
, or an organic pesticide like Pyrethrum. You can control them biologically by introducing parasitic nematodes onto the infected plant.
