5 hours ago, Bill W said:

I once passed by a house that  was painted chartreuse.  It was hideous looking and I'm sure that the neighbors must have complained and either offered to pay to have it repainted or threatened to burn it down.  

I wonder  if the impulse to burn is where the char part comes in?

The name comes from the French liqueur made by the monks at their monastery, Grande Chartreuse in the Chartreuse Mountains. The formula is secret with 130 ingredients.