Cheese

From the early 19th century, the cheese was slang for the best, the fashion or the correct thing and some sources ascribe this to the Hindu or Urdu word chiz that means the real thing, but this is not proven. From the mid-19th century, however, it generally took on a negative, derogatory or ironic meaning as smart or clever and evolved into expressions like cheesed off, cheesy, and hard cheese, all of which have negative connotations which stem from the sometimes smelly, odious nature of old cheese. Hence, there is its other low, slang meaning of smegma, which also dates from the mid-19th century. See also big cheese, cheesed off, cheesy and hard cheese.