A German soldier or person, used as a derogatory term especially during World War I.
From French 'boche,' possibly derived from 'caboche' (head) or from German 'Alboche.' The term emerged as slang during WWI and became a common insult in English.
This word shows how language becomes a weapon during war—soldiers on opposing sides often create insulting nicknames for each other, and 'boche' became so widespread that many English speakers didn't realize it started as French slang rather than an English word.
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