The phrase “put the kibosh on,” meaning “to put an end to,” dates back to an early 19th century poem, but a Cockney chimney sweep brought thephrase to the general public, says Dr. Gerald Cohen, a professor of German and Russian.
Allan Metcalf, a writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, writes about Dr. Gerald Cohen’s research on etymology in Metcalf’s article, “Breaking News: I’m From Missouri.” Cohen is a professor of Rusisian and German languages at S&T.