A. Could come from the Hebrew sh’lahn, meaning ” it stayed over-night.” Some say it comes from the French chaud lent meaning hot-slow. It refers to the hot stew that we eat on Shabbos Day, which began cooking (in a crockpot or on the stove) on Friday afternoon before Shabbat begins. At Shabbos House we always serve one meat and one vegetarian cholent. The Cholent is also an expression for a big mix of things, a potpouri or mish-mash of sorts.
