Custard

Custard
This unusual and interesting surname is of medieval English origin, and derives from the Middle English and Anglo-French "costard", a large apple. The ultimate origin of the word lies in the Old French "coste" (Modern French "cote", rib), with the suffix "ard", indicating a person or thing characterized by a certain quality. The apple bearing the name was so called from being prominently ribbed, and the same word was later applied derisively to the head. The surname Custard was therefore originally given either as a metonymic occupational name to a grower or seller of this popular apple variety, or as a nickname to someone who was "round-headed". A quotation from Shakespeare's "King Lear" reads; "I'd try whither your Costard or my Ballow (baton, stick) be the harder". Job descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. Nicknames, from which a sizeable group of early European surnames arose, were given with reference to a variety of personal characteristics, such as physical attributes or peculiarities and mental or moral characteristics. Early examples of the surname include: Richard Costard (Cambridgeshire, 1273) and Thomas Costard (Yorkshire, 1379). In the modern idiom the name is spelt: Custard, Costard, Costerd, Cestard, Castard and Custed. On November 7th 1585 Thomas Custard, an infant, was christened at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London. Custards, a locality in the New Forest rural district of Hampshire, was probably named from one who bore this surname. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Reginal Costard, which was dated 1272, in the "Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire, during the reign of Edward 1, known as" The Hammer of The Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Custard — ist eine Mischung aus Eiern und Milch, welche durch Kochen verdickt wird. Meistens wird er als Nachspeise verzehrt, dient aber auch als Grundlage für Pudding, Quiche und andere Gerichte. Heute gibt es Custard in Pulverform zu kaufen. Als… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Custard — Cus tard (k[u^]s t[ e]rd), n. [Prob. the same word as OE. crustade, crustate, a pie made with a crust, fr. L. crustatus covered with a crust, p. p. of crustare, fr. crusta crust; cf. OF. croustade pasty, It. crostata, or F. coutarde. See {Crust} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • custard — [kus′tərd] n. [ME, altered < crustade, any dish baked in a crust, ult. (? via Prov crostado) < L crusta, CRUST] 1. a mixture of eggs, milk, flavoring, and, often, sugar, either boiled or baked 2. short for FROZEN CUSTARD …   English World dictionary

  • custard — mid 14c., meat or fruit pie, crustade, from M.Fr. croustade (Mod.Fr. coutarde), from O.Prov. croustado fruit tart, lit. something covered with crust, from crosta crust, from L. crusta (see CRUST (Cf. crust)). Modern meaning is c.1600. Spelling… …   Etymology dictionary

  • custard — ► NOUN ▪ a dessert or sweet sauce made with milk and eggs and thickened with cornflour, or milk and a proprietary powder. ORIGIN originally crustarde or custarde, denoting an open pie containing meat or fruit in a sauce thickened with eggs: from… …   English terms dictionary

  • Custard — This article focuses on egg thickened custards. For versions based on custard powder and their derivatives, see Bird s Custard. egg custard redirects here. For the egg custard tart, see egg custard tart. For other uses, see Custard… …   Wikipedia

  • custard — /kus teuhrd/, n. a dessert made of eggs, sugar, and milk, either baked, boiled, or frozen. [1400 50; late ME, metathetic var. of earlier crustade kind of pie. See CRUST, ADE1; cf. Pr croustado] * * * ▪ food       mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, and …   Universalium

  • custard — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ banana, caramel (AmE), egg, vanilla ▪ frozen (AmE) ▪ creamy, thick ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • custard — n. 1 a dish made with milk and eggs, usu. sweetened. 2 a sweet sauce made with milk and flavoured cornflour. Phrases and idioms: custard apple a W. Indian fruit, Annona reticulata, with a custard like pulp. custard pie 1 a pie containing custard …   Useful english dictionary

  • Custard — Le custard (la costarde, au Québec) est un type de crème préparée à partir de lait et d œufs. Généralement, le custard constitue un dessert ou une sauce à dessert, mais des bases de custard sont également employées pour préparer des quiches et d… …   Wikipédia en Français

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