# Sabotage = Clogged Up?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 14, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996 "2010-01-14T22:26:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996/1 "2010-01-14T22:26:48Z")

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If the word “sabotage” comes from French workers jamming the machines with their wooden shoes, does the term “clogged up” come from Dutch workers doing the same thing?

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**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996/2 "2010-01-15T01:07:07Z")

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I’m not an etymologist but until one comes along I’ll tell you what I think since I spent a lot of time looking up the origin of _sabotage_ recently. Since a sabot can be said to be fashioned from a “block” of wood, I think they share their origins regarding shoes there. A clog (shoe) and sabot are similar enough for there to be little mystery in their being related. A clog as in a _block_age may have derived from the same roots as the “block” of wood. That was just my understanding when I was reading up on the etymology of “sabotage”. As I said, not an expert even of the amateur type but I hope it will lead you in the right direction.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996/3 "2010-01-15T02:28:43Z")

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The word “clog” comes from a 14th c. English word for a block of wood, originally tied to an animal’s leg to tether it (think ball-and-chain). Although the usage for a heavy wooden shoe (15th c.) appears earlier than the usage for an obstruction or hindrance (16th c.), both come before the industrial revolution (18th c.). So no. Also, they’re called _klompen_ in Dutch.

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**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sabotage-clogged-up/524996/4 "2010-01-15T11:23:20Z")

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And the Dutch ‘klomp’ is simular in meaning to ‘lump’ in English. (Except that it also means ‘Wooden shoe’)