Plural of boche, a derogatory WWI slang term used by Allied soldiers for German soldiers or Germans generally.
From French 'boche' or 'caboche' (cabbage head, used as an insult), popularized during World War I as a contemptuous term for Germans among English-speaking troops.
Boche and boches are now considered offensive historical terms, but they appear frequently in WWI literature and show how languages create insults during conflict—a linguistic mirror of hatred.
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