BBB Etymology - Flea Market

The Bogus-Boggess Blog (BBB) features a word or phrase etymology each Tuesday. This week, consider the overwhelming popularity of shopping for "stuff and such" no doubt fueled by the popularity of Antiques Roadshow on PBS. The term "flea market" most probably had its origin in Paris, where Le Marche aux Puces (literally, "market of the fleas") was a popular shopping venue. Le Marche aux Puces took its name from the semi-humorous (and probably at least partly accurate) popular perception that the market's ragtag goods were more than likely to be infested with fleas.