Origin of Kibosh

Gerald Cohen is Professor of German and Russian, with a research specialty in etymology, at Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA.Stephen Goranson works in the library of Duke University, where he also earned a doctorate.Matthew Little is Associate Professor of English at Mississippi State University.

• CHAPTER 1: OverviewCHAPTER 2: Introduction: ‘Origin unknown’; previous works; chronology CHAPTER 3: Penal Servitude! continued CHAPTER 4: Spread of put the kibosh on from Cockney CHAPTER 5: Kibosh in several newspaper accountsCHAPTER 6: Additional attestations of kibosh CHAPTER 7: Three competing etymologies are unconvincingCHAPTER 8: General observationsAPPENDICESAppendix #1: Anatoly Liberman’s 2013 article ‘Three Recent Theories of Kibosh, continued’ (Aug. 14, 2013)Appendix #2: kibosh-from-kurbash etymology, evidently first Proposed by Matthew Little (Nov. 2009)Appendix #3: Several newspaper items about chimney sweepsAppendix #4: Political complexities in Britain of the early 1830sAppendix #5: Notes & Queries items on a Yiddish origin of kibosh/kyboshAppendix #6: Two pictures illustrating use of the kurbashREFERENCESINDEX

"Mr Cohen [...] worked with his co-authors to piece together how "kibosh" came into British usage in the 1830s. The resulting book 'Origins of Kibosh' in the Routledge Studies in Etymology series, settles on a convincing origin story." - Ben Zimmer, Wall Street Journal, 30-31 December 2017"Read 'Origin of Kibosh' and you will indeed by instructed and amused." - Anatoly Liberman, The Oxford Etymologist, 29 November 2017