Cobbler

/ˈkɑːblər/ noun

Definition

A person who repairs or makes shoes, or a fruit dessert with a thick biscuit or cake topping baked on top of filling.

Etymology

From Middle English 'cobler,' possibly derived from 'cobble' meaning 'to repair roughly,' or connected to Old Norse sources; the dessert sense is American English from the 1800s.

Kelly Says

Apple cobbler got its name because early American cobblers (shoemakers) turned fruit preparation into a dessert resembling cobblestones or rough patches—making it one of the few foods named after a profession rather than ingredients!

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Historically a male-dominated trade with formal apprenticeship systems. Women cobblers existed but were largely excluded from guilds and records, their work relegated to informal or family labor.

Inclusive Usage

Use 'cobbler' or 'shoe repairer' without gender assumption. If discussing history, acknowledge women's invisible labor in the trade.

Inclusive Alternatives

["shoe repairer","shoemaker"]

Empowerment Note

Women's contributions to leatherworking and shoe repair were historically uncredited; many worked as cobblers but lack records due to guild exclusion.

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