Covered with or sprinkled with pepper; or to attack or question someone repeatedly and intensely.
From Old English 'pipor,' borrowed from Latin 'piper,' which came from Sanskrit 'pippali.' The verb form evolved in Middle English meaning 'to sprinkle with pepper' and later 'to attack in rapid succession.'
The transition from 'peppered food' to 'peppered with questions' happened because pepper corns are small, scattered, and numerous—so 'peppered with' became a metaphor for being hit with many rapid, stinging things!
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