Also 7 sower crawt, 9 sourcrout; 8 sour-krout, 8– sour krout, 9 sour kraut. [Anglicized form of SAUERKRAUT.] A fermented preparation of cabbage.
α. 1617. [see SAUERKRAUT].
1775. Ann. Reg., I. 190. Cabbages, made into sour-crout, a kind of pickle, but used, in lieu of common food, in some parts of Germany.
1796. T. Twining, Trav. India, etc. (1893), 3. The American captains have the reputation of keeping rather an indifferent table—living, it is said, principally on salt beef and sour-crout.
1802. Beddoes, Hygëia, VIII. 19. Particular things as sour crout gave the person … uneasiness.
1834. T. Medwin, Angler in Wales, II. 286. Either are to me as bad as a double dose of sour crout.
1865. trans. Erckmann-Chatrian’s Waterloo (1870), 60. He set a good dish of sour-crout beside the soup-tureen.
attrib. 1778. Han. More, Lett., in W. Roberts, Mem. (1834), I. 132. I dined yesterday at Garrick’s, with the sour crout party.
β. 1776. [see SAUERKRAUT].
1777. Forster, Voy. round World, I. 53. The captain had for some weeks past ordered sour-krout (or cabbage sliced and fermented) to be regularly served to the crew.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. i. You have seen men and cities, no doubt,… and know the taste of sour krout.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 834/1. Sour Kraut Cutter. A machine for cutting cabbage for kraut.
Hence Sour-croutish a.
c. 1780. Beckford, Italy (1834), I. 62. An execrable sourcroutish supper was served up to my majesty.
1862. Miss M. B. Edwards, John & I, II. 16. The whole atmosphere is rather beery, sour-krautish, and cigarish.
