Cubby-hole
– Etymology:
– Possibly derived from the term cub in Old English related to stall, pen, cattle shed, coop, hutch.
– Meanings in various countries:
– In South Africa, cubby-hole or cubby refers to a glove compartment in a vehicle.
– In the UK, Ireland, and Canada, it may refer to the cupboard under the stairs.
– In Quebec, cagibi, a contraction of cage à bijoux, translates as jewel case and is synonymous with a triangular storage walk-in under the inner stairs.
– In the United States, a cubby-hole often refers to a small space for children to keep personal belongings in preschool or kindergarten settings.
– Common usage in Barbados, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Southern Minnesota, Michigan, Madison (South Dakota), and Northwest Wyoming.
– See also:
– Wendy house
– References:
– “Country, Cubbies. Modern cubby house designs.” Retrieved 2012-12-29.
– “Of the Dorset dialect,” Transactions of the Philological Society, B. Blackwell: 51, 1864.
– Karen Stagnitti (2000), Playthings, pp. 25–26, ISBN 978-1-876367-61-9.
– Gwenda Davey; Graham Seal (1993), The Oxford companion to Australian folklore, p. 90, ISBN 978-0-19-553057-5.
– Origin of English word CUBBYHOLE.
A cubby-hole, cubby-house or cubby is a small play house, or play area, for children. This may be constructed by the children themselves and used as a place of play. Children may have a small shed, play-house or tent which they use as a cubby-house. Children might build their own in various places in the house or garden, or have a pre-fabricated cubby. An Australian fictional treatment of the quest for the perfect cubby can be found in Ursula Dubosarsky's The Cubby House, illustrated by Mitch Vane.
