rhubarb [LME] English speakers have been using rhubarb since medieval times. It came originally from China and Tibet, and the name reflects its exotic origins, going back to Greek rhabarbarum, the second part of which comes from barbaros ‘foreign’ (see barbarian). It was originally a medicinal plant and the variety used as part of a meal only appears in 1760. Actors who wanted to give the impression of indistinct background conversation on stage traditionally achieved this by repeating ‘rhubarb, rhubarb’, leading to the word becoming a verb in the mid 20th century.