caisse noire

== French == === Etymology === The term dates from the first half of the 19th century, stemming from near-clandestine efforts by railway workers at improvised health insurance, for which they would pass around a black crate, to which each worker would contribute. See the French Wikipedia article for more information. === Pronunciation === === Noun === caisse noire f (plural caisses noires) slush fund (money stored for illegal or dishonest purposes) ==== Descendants ==== →? German: schwarze Kasse (calque)