[bobharvey]

why is a greengage a green gage? are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?

[Dave Hill]

On Apr 8, 10:43*pm, bobharvey wrote:
why is a greengage a green gage? *are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?


Amazing what you find if you bother to Google your question.
Sources attribute the origin of the name "greengage" variably to
several members of the Gage family. One account states that the
cultivar was brought into England by the Rev. John Gage who obtained
them from the Chartreuse Monastery.[1] "Green Gages" were imported
into England from France in 1724 by Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet,
from whom they get their English name.[2] Allegedly, the labels
identifying the French plum trees were lost in transit to Gage's home
in Bury St. Edmunds.

[David WE Roberts[_4_]]

"bobharvey" wrote in message
...
why is a greengage a green gage? are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?

IIRC it is a glove.

So not related to the fruit name, presumably.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

[Dave Hill]

On Apr 9, 11:02*am, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-04-09 09:39:01 +0100, Dave Hill said:

On Apr 8, 10:43*pm, bobharvey wrote:
why is a greengage a green gage? *are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?

Amazing what you find if you bother to Google your question.
Sources attribute the origin of the name "greengage" variably to
several members of the Gage family. One account states that the
cultivar was brought into England by the Rev. John Gage who obtained
them from the Chartreuse Monastery.[1] "Green Gages" were imported
into England from France in 1724 by Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet,
from whom they get their English name.[2] Allegedly, the labels
identifying the French plum trees were lost in transit to Gage's home
in Bury St. Edmunds.

Presumably the French origin gives them the name Reine Claude in that
country. *Now I'll have to Google on who she was! And it seems that she
was the Duchess of Brittany in the 1500s and the queen consort of King
Francis 1 of France. *Amazing what one can learn from horticulture!! ;-)
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.comwww.hillhousenurseryt earoom.com
South Devon


Rev. John Gage, Sir William Gage, The Duchess of Brittany ...
You can see why it's called Horti culture

[kay]

Originally Posted by bobharvey

why is a greengage a green gage? are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?

There's certainly yellow ones.

And a quick google gives me:
Oullin's Golden Gage
Early transparent Gage

and even

Golden Transparent Gage ;-)

Last time anyone asked "what is a gage", we weren't very sure!
http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/united...plum-gage.html

The Oxford Dictionary gives the derivation of gage as being from Sr William Gage, who is credited with bringing greengages into Britain from France in about 1725
Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The OED is silent on the derivation of gog", which various on-line dictionaries suggest is a variant of "gob".

[Bill Grey]

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"bobharvey" wrote in message
...
why is a greengage a green gage? are there redgages? blackgages?

Is 'gage' from the same root as the 'gog' bit of 'goosegogs'?

IIRC it is a glove.

So not related to the fruit name, presumably.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

That is one meaning I also found. Another is " any variety of plum - eg
greengage".

Bill