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Cabbage night
01
(New Jersey) the night before Halloween, often marked by mischievous pranks by children
Slang
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Abstract
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
cabbage nights
What does "cabbage night" mean in New Jersey slang?
It is used in New Jersey (and parts of the Northeast) to describe the night before Halloween, often marked by mischievous pranks by children, such as throwing cabbage, eggs, or toilet paper, soaping windows, or rearranging lawn decorations. People typically say "Cabbage night is tomorrow, make sure the car's in the garage." The term originated in early to mid 20th century New Jersey and surrounding states, with "cabbage" being one of the items thrown, though the holiday is also known as "Mischief Night" or "Goosey Night" in other regions.
Examples
Kids are always up to something on cabbage night.
