[Sca-cooks] Gooseberry

[Gretchen Beck]

--On Monday, October 11, 2010 4:32 PM -0600 Mem Morman <mem at rialto.org> 
wrote:

>   So can someone figure out how  "playing gooseberry" (as in acting as a
> third party chaperone to a couple) came into use?
> elaina


My guess is that it's an extension of this usage (found in the OED):

1796 Grose's Dict. Vulg. Tongue (ed. 3) s.v., He played up old gooseberry 
among them; said of a person who, by force or threats, suddenly puts an end 
to a riot or disturbance

Not sure where that one came from, though...

toodles, margaret