caisse noire

French

Etymology

The term dates from the first half of the 19th century, stemming from near-clandestine efforts by railway workers at improvised health insurance, for which they would pass around a black crate, to which each worker would contribute.

See the French Wikipedia article for more information.

Pronunciation

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Noun

caisse noire f (plural caisses noires)

  1. slush fund (money stored for illegal or dishonest purposes)

Descendants

  • →? German: schwarze Kasse (calque)
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