Cadges

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To secure something by relying on the generosity or kindness of others, often in a manner that is perceived as exploitative or needy
2. Obtains something by asking for it as a favor or by persistent requests
3. Secures goods or assistance from others through appeals rather than payment

Etymology: "Cadges" is the third-person singular form of "cadge", so the history belongs to the verb itself. Its earliest sense was physical rather than social: Middle English "caggen" meant "to tie, fasten or bind". The word is probably from Old Norse, where a related term "kǫgurr" meant "quilt", and "kǫgurbarn" described a child wrapped tightly in swaddling, which suggests the image of something bound up and held fast. How the word moved from binding to begging is less certain. The verb is thought to be a corruption of "cage", so the picture is of something confined or held in place, and the shift toward securing things from other people appears to have grown out of that sense of holding on to what one can get. The exact route is not fully documented, so the connection between "tying up" and "scrounging" should be treated as a plausible reconstruction rather than a settled fact.

Synonyms: borrow, scrounge, beg, panhandle, mooch