HIT: the origin of kit and caboodle

["Odile M. Heisel" <oheisel@PEN.K12.VA.US>]

Dear group, although I got other responses (thanks to all who
did), this response from Sally seemed the most comprehensive
and the others agreed with it.

According to Sarah Lantz:
> >From *Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins - 2nd ed*, p.334:
>
> "*kit*, meaning a collection of anything, comes from the kit bag of a
> soldier, in which he had to carry all his belongings. The earlist record of
> its use is in England in 1785. Combined with *boodle*, it came to mean a
> collection of people. There's a difference of opinion as to where *boodle*
> originated, some authorities attributing it to *buddle* (which in turn was
> probably Old English *bottel*), meaning "bunch or bundle."  Others think it
> came from the Dutch *boedel*, meaning "property."  In this sense it has long
> been used by New England longshoremen.  How did it become *caboodle*?
> *Caboodle* is said to be a corruption of *kit and boodle*.  All of which
> certainly makes the whole *kit and caboodle* and all-inclusive phrase."
> Sally Lantz     sarahl@ccpl.carr.lib.md.us
>


--
Odile Heisel  oheisel@pen.k12.va.us
Student Teacher and future certified media specialist
(graduating from James Madison University May 3, 1997)
Thomas Harrison Middle School
Harrisonburg, VA 22801