The butcher of today may rarely see a living cow, sheep, or hog, or may never be called upon actually to slaughter anything larger than a turkey or goose.
Most of the killing and dressing of animals destined for food is now done in large packing houses, and the word butcher is often applied to one who merely handles portions of the dressed carcass.
But, unlike the tradesman to whom the term was anciently applied, he deals with meat of all edible kinds. The early butcher of France and Italy, slaughtered and sold only goat’s meat, according to the name of his occupation.
For the name is the Old French bochier, one who deals in goat’s meat, from boc, whence our word buck, a “he-goat.”
Related Posts
-
Where Did the Word “Buck” Come From For a Dollar and How Did the Term Originate?
The Indians taught the first European settlers the value of a buck. Like gold, deer or buckskin was used in trading as a unit of value against which everything else was assessed. That's…
-
Was There Really a Butcher Named A. Stinker?
There certainly was. Ever since names have been around, there have been all sorts of funny ones. In fact, some are so funny that their owners go to court to get them changed.…
-
Where does the phrase “to pass the buck” come from and What does it mean?
There is no uncertainty about the source of the term "to pass the buck". Poker. But, just as the origin of the American game of poker is shrouded in mystery, so is the…
-
Where Did the Expression “Bang For the Buck” Come From and What Does the Idiom Mean?
"Bang for the buck" means getting the most for the amount you have paid. The phrase is a Cold War military expression with sinister suggestions of atomic and other explosive devices. Before the…
-
What does the word mugwump mean and Where does the word “mugwump” originate?
John Eliot, so-called "apostle to the Indians," had many difficulties when, in the middle of the seventeenth century, he was translating the Bible into the Indian language. There were so many words for…
-
What Does the Word “Restaurant” Mean In French and How Did the Word For Dining Room Originate?
Up until 1765, diners were offered only what innkeepers chose to serve. But then, a Paris chef named Boulanger began offering a choice of nourishing soups to passersby and on a board hanging…
