gunsel

gunsel · noun¹

1. Middle High German · derived fromgensel
2. Yiddish · derived fromגענדזל“gosling”
3. English todaygunsel

From Yiddish גענדזל (gendzl, “gosling”), from Middle High German gensel, diminutive of gans (“goose”).

gunsel · noun²

By misunderstanding of the 1929 Maltese Falcon quotation above (1.1) (which survived in a popular 1941 film adaptation). The novel was originally serialized in a magazine, Black Mask, whose editor refused to allow vulgarities. Hammett used the word gunsel knowing that the editor would likely misunderstand it as relating to gun, and therefore allow it.

Words from the same roots