why gin?

[keithgrimes]

does anyone know why a gin trap is called a gin trap?

 

[harveyzone]

does anyone know why a gin trap is called a gin trap?

Apparently from Engine... http://www.word-origins.com/definition/gin.html

Edit...

Which in turn, apparently is

From Middle English engin < Old French engin (“skill", "cleverness", "war machine”) < Latin ingenium (“innate or natural quality, nature, genius, a genious, an invention, in Late Latin a war-engine, battering-ram”) < ingenitum, past participle of ingignere (“to instil by birth, implant, produce in”); see ingenious. Engine originally meant 'ingenuity, cunning' which eventually developed into meaning 'the product of ingenuity, a plot or snare' and 'tool, weapon'... http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/engine

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Booooo! I was just optimistically reaching for the tonic and lime as I opened this thread. Now all I can think about is dead rabbits