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Where does the word "hoosegow" come from? It comes from Mexican Spanish juzgado, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
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Where does the word "hoosegow" come from? It comes from Mexican Spanish juzgado, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
Hoosegow’s story begins in Mexican Spanish: juzgado meant “court.” A tribunal or court, from 'juzgar', to judge. It reached English by 1900s as hoosegow. Cowboys in the Southwest turned the court into a jail. Today, hoosegow means a jail.
- Stage 1 · Mexican Spanish · 1800s juzgado "court", a tribunal or court, from 'juzgar', to judge.
- Stage 2 · American English · 1900s hoosegow "jail", cowboys in the Southwest turned the court into a jail.