http://www.englishforums.com/English/WordsPunsJokes/Forum15.htmWhere an utterly useless word is submitted on a regular basis– and now we've thrown in a pun and a joke.enXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#829135Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:30:04 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:829135Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#829135http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-829135.xmlAlmost all references I've seen to playing gooseberry seem to make the gooseberry in question unwanted and unneeded. As someone who's life role is seemingly to be the gooseberry, I disagree with that. The gooseberry can be a person invited along to punctuate the nervous silences on first dates; a veritable jester for the lovestruck. I could carry on with some misanthropic rantings but I'm sure we've all heard it before...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#788748Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:36:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:788748Anonymous1http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#788748http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-788748.xmlbut they go pink when ripehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#782741Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:19:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:782741Anonymous2http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#782741http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-782741.xmlIt is hard to determine if the expression derives from the fact that the single person may blush from the romantic doings of the couple, thus resembling a gooseberry Gooseberies are green! strange blush!!!http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#550480Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:550480Anonymous3http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#550480http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-550480.xmlGooseberry was an old English euphemism for the Devil, who is unwelcome...http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#510171Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:510171Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#510171http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-510171.xmlIt's because in Victorian England, people used to say that babies are found under gooseberry bushes, when avoiding telling children about sex.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#361149Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:361149Anonymous5http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#361149http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-361149.xmlThe term playing gooseberry is used in an idiomatic expression unique to the British and the Canadians. To play a gooseberry is very much like being referred to as “the third wheel.” The gooseberry may accompany a romantically linked couple on a date. It is hard to determine if the expression derives from the fact that the single person may blush from the romantic doings of the couple, thus resembling a gooseberry. Alternately, perhaps the single person is too “thorny” in nature to procure his or her own date.http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#10402Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:10402RoyBates6http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#10402http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-10402.xmlOK. The meaning is clear. But why is the word gooseberry used? What connection is there to a fruit?http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#10051Tue, 26 May 2009 08:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:10051hitchhiker7http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htm#10051http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-10051.xmlAlso known as: -The third wheel -The fourth beat of a waltz -The third singer of a duet It means: To be the odd man out, to be / feel out of place "I was at a bar with Bob and Cindy last night; it was terrible! I hate playing gooseberry"http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htmThu, 26 Mar 2009 09:15:59 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:10045Guest8http://www.englishforums.com/English/IdiomGooseberry/crmp/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments15-10045.xmlIf someone forces themselves on a couple, it is said that that person is playing gooseberry. Why gooseberry? Does anyone know the answer? Help, please.