caisse noire
French edit
Etymology edit
The term dates from the first half of the 19th century, stemming from near-clandestine efforts by railway workers at improvised health insurance, for which they would pass around a black crate, to which each worker would contribute.
See the French Wikipedia article for more information.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
caisse noire f (plural caisses noires)
- slush fund (money stored for illegal or dishonest purposes)
Descendants edit
- →? German: schwarze Kasse (calque)