chestnut
The origin and history of chestnut.
Etymology
A shortening of Middle English "chesteine" plus "nut," from Old French chastaigne, from Latin castanea. The "old joke" meaning is said to come from an early-1800s play in which a repeated tall tale always mentioned a chestnut tree.
Class of 1800
chestnut first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →