gooseberry bush

• Stachelbeerstrauch; veralteter britischer Ausdruck, der sich auf einen Stachelbeerstrauch bezieht und historisch in der Redewendung „unter dem Stachelbeerstrauch“ verwendet wurde, um Kindern die Herkunft von Babys zu erklären, oder in der Wendung „Play gooseberry“, was bedeutet, als unerwünschter Dritter ein Paar zu begleiten.

An old-fashioned British expression referring to a gooseberry bush, historically used in the phrase 'under the gooseberry bush' to explain childbirth to children, or in the idiom 'play gooseberry' meaning to be an unwanted third person accompanying a couple.

1. A thorny shrubB1formal

   A small, thorny shrub that produces edible green or red berries, often used in jams and desserts.

   Stachelbeerstrauch

   • The gooseberry bush in the garden is full of ripe berries.
   • She planted a gooseberry bush near the fence.
   • We picked gooseberries from the bush to make jam.

2. Children's mythB2informalbritish

   A traditional, humorous explanation given to children about where babies come from, suggesting they are found under a gooseberry bush.

   Kindermythos

   • When he asked where babies came from, his parents told him they were found under a gooseberry bush.
   • The old gooseberry bush story is rarely used today.
   • She laughed at the silly gooseberry bush explanation.