Cheipzegar Cheese

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>         Just received, from Switzerland, a quantity of Cheipzegar
>Cheese, of superior quality.  Also on hand, Parmesan Cheese, English
>Wiltshire of fine quality, and a fine assortment from Barlow's American
>Dairy. . . .  [Stephen A. Rich, 145 Broadway]
>         N Y National Advocate, April 5, 1825, p. 2, col. 5
>
>What "Cheipzegar" would sound like when spoken has not escaped my
>notice.  But this is from a cheese-monger's ad -- can he have been
>imposed upon by some hoaxer?  Doesn't seem likely.

The "-zegar" looks like the "zieger" (also spelled "ziger") (meaning "whey
[cheese]" or so) in "Schabzieger", the modern standard German name of a
Swiss cheese (usually called "sapsago" or so in English, I think).

"Cheip-" could in fact be "Schab-", I think, given that Swiss German
orthography is not fully standardized even now (AFAIK): in particular the
"chei-" might be a Frenchy spelling, and the "b" here should sound about
like a "p" in German according to my primitive understanding.

Alternatively it could be some other sort of "zieger".

-- Doug Wilson