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Gouged

(8 Posts)
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MaizieD Sat 29-Oct-22 15:50:02

When I was not very much younger than I am now, 'gouge' meant 'to take a rough chunk out of something'.

Now it appears to be applied to price increases (which certainly take a chunk out of people's incomes...)

Can anyone explain how it managed to mean something completely unrelated to its usual meaning?

'Cos I'm baffled.

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MaizieD Sat 29-Oct-22 21:52:39

Oh. No-one can help me out?

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crazyH Sat 29-Oct-22 21:55:31

Sorry to be offensive - I have only heard of ‘gouging the eyes out’

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FarNorth Sat 29-Oct-22 21:57:44

How is it used in relation to price increases? I haven't heard it.
Example sentence?

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growstuff Sat 29-Oct-22 21:59:23

Apparently, it's not modern. It seems to have originated in 19th century America.

www.etymonline.com/word/gouge

grammarist.com/idiom/price-gouging/#:~:text=The%20word%20gouging%20to%20mean,about%20one%20hundred%20years%20later.

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growstuff Sat 29-Oct-22 22:00:11

FarNorth

How is it used in relation to price increases? I haven't heard it.
Example sentence?

Governor Gavin Newsom has extended protections against price gouging after the Camp Fire in Butte County for a year in light of ongoing rebuilding and resettling. (The Chico Enterprise-Record)

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welbeck Sat 29-Oct-22 22:04:41

i've never heard of it to do with prices.
maybe it's american.

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MaizieD Sat 29-Oct-22 22:15:45

I keep seeing it in 'English' commentaries nowadays. It's even been in the Guardian o few times 😱

I can't see at all how the association can have arisen. If it were associated with lowered prices it would, IMO, just about have a tiny bit of logic to it,

Thanks for your help, though grin

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