Boche, n. and adj.
Forms:
19– Boche, 19– Bosch, 19– Bosche, 19– Boshe, 19– Bush (U.S.). Also with lower-case initial.(Show Less)
Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French boche.
Etymology: < French boche, noun (1886 or earlier), of uncertain origin.
The origin of the French noun as a derogatory term for a German is unclear. It probably shows either: (i) a sense development of boche scoundrel (1866; compare tête de boche obstinate, ignorant, or unintelligent person (1862; 1886 as a derogatory term for a German)), probably shortened < caboche blockhead, head (see cabbage n.1); or (ii) a shortening of Alboche (also Alleboche ) (1860 as a derogatory term for a German, 1868 in tête d'alboche in the same sense), apparently an alteration of Allemand German (see Almain adj.), either after boche or caboche, or after earlier colloquial formations in -boche (as e.g. rigolboche amusing (1860; 1858 as the name of a fictional dancer)).
colloq. (chiefly derogatory and potentially offensive).
A. n.
1. A German, esp. a German soldier. Usually in pl.Chiefly used during or with reference to the First World War (1914–18) or Second World War (1939–45). Now chiefly in French contexts.
1914 Scotsman 4 Sept. 6/4
Buy, mesdammes, buy my fish. Let us eat our good things while we can, and leave the offal to the Boches if they come.
1914 Daily Express 30 Sept. 4/2
Monsieur had better come under cover. The ‘Bosches’ are still firing this way.
1915 Manch. Guardian 8 Oct. 12/4
As for the Boches who had taken refuge in the ‘fox holes’, they were suffocating under feet of earth and debris.
1919 ‘B. Cable’ Old Contemptibles viii. 130
A Boche..proceeded to drop bombs all over the place.
1941 ‘Faugh-a-Ballagh’ 34 58/2
He concluded by saying that the only good boche was a dead boche.
1944 C. Beaton Diary 29 Oct. in Self Portrait with Friends
(1979)
xv. 154
The French working-class man would never forgive the Boches.
1998 Times 6 June (Weekend section) 18/4
A small, wiry old Frenchwoman—the sort who looks as though she probably did for a couple of brace of Boches with a pitchfork in the war.
1914—1998(Hide quotations)
2. With sing. or pl. concord. Germans (esp., in early use, German soldiers) collectively. Chiefly with the.Frequently used during or with reference to the First World War (1914–18) or Second World War (1939–45).
1914 Evening News
(London)
9 Nov. 3/2
(headline)
Bluffing the Boche.
1916 J. Buchan Greenmantle v. 62
There was nothing the Boche liked so much as an excuse for sending a poor devil to ‘solitary’.
1919 J. Buchan Mr. Standfast xxi. 385
The Boche is pushin' up new troops.
1940 Ld. Alanbrooke Diary 18 Jan. in War Diaries
(2001)
32
The Boche with their efficient bridging equipment would have little difficulty in negotiating it.
1944 Life 24 Apr. 37/2
The Boche was bloody bad last night.
1945 Sun
(Baltimore)
3 Jan. 20/1
They'd..be there to beat back the first bunch of Boche when they tried it again.
1985 Toronto Star
(Nexis)
29 Nov. a6
I was overcome with the strange sensation that I had been cast back in time to a muddy salient at Ypres just as the Boche sent the mustard gas billowing down on our trenches.
1999 BBC Top Gear Aug. 61/4
The only reason the Boche are better at it than us is that they've had more practice.
2002 News of World
(Nexis)
26 May
There's no better place to hammer the boche than on a footy pitch.
1914—2002(Hide quotations)
B. adj. (attrib.)
German.Chiefly used during or with reference to the First World War (1914–18) or Second World War (1939–45).
1914 Evening News 14 Dec. 1/3
Thanks to the guns of our fleet, we can sail for weeks and weeks without even meeting the Boche flag.
1916 H. W. Yoxall Let. 22 Sept. in Fashion of Life
(1966)
iv. 32
The Bosche barrage was almost as good as ours.
1917 G. S. Gordon Let. 12 Mar.
(1943)
72
Our Archibalds are peppering a Boche aeroplane.
1920 Punch 20 Oct. 305/1
Bosch aeroplane observers.
1940 W. S. Churchill Into Battle
(1941)
296
All Europe, if he [sc. Hitler] has his way, will be reduced to one uniform Boche-land.
2011 Nottingham Post 17 Nov. 10
Robert Sherriff 's famous play is set in the trenches in 1918 at the start of the great Boche offensive in the spring of that year.
1914—2011(Hide quotations)