Search: kybosh origin
Why: "Fans of the original ["Battlestar Galactica"] series really like their version and were disappointed that Ron Moore's version apparently put the kybosh on any possible continuation."
Answer: Nobody knows for sure! Most agree that originated in Britain in the early part of last century - the OED cites Dickens’ Sketches by Boz of 1836 as the first use in print. Some etymological theories:
- It derives from the Yiddish word kabas or kabbasten, “to suppress.”
- It is an acronym formed from the initial letters of 3 Yiddish words meaning 18 British coins: the Hebrew chai for "18", shekel for "coin," and British in the middle. This would have something to do with "life."
- It is derived from caboshed, the heraldic description of the emblem of an animal which is shown full-face, but cut off close to the ears so that no neck shows (wtf).
- It originates in the Gaelic phrase cie báis meaning “cap of death.”
- It comes from Middle High German kiebe, meaning “carrion” (aka dead animal flesh).
The More You Know: Early written references varied a lot in spelling. Dickens spelled it kye-bosk (presumably a literal spelling of the then Cockney pronunciation). The London humorous magazine Punch used cibosh in an article in 1856. The modern form appeared first in The Slang Dictionary in 1869.
