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Gawk vs Mawk - What's the difference?

gawk | mawk |

As nouns the difference between gawk and mawk

is that gawk is a cuckoo or gawk can be a simpleton, stupid or clumsy person while mawk is a maggot.

As a verb gawk

is to stare or gape stupidly.

gawk

English

Etymology 1

From a variant of gowk, from (etyl) gowke, from (etyl) . More at (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • a cuckoo
    • (Johnson)
  • a fool
    • (Carlyle)

    Etymology 2

    A Middle-Appalachian Americanism, since late 1800s, possibly misconstruing French "gauche," and leading to use of adj gawky for a person or process that is uncoordinated or awkward.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a simpleton, stupid or clumsy person.

    • Etymology 3

    Perhaps from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stare or gape stupidly
  • To stare conspicuously.

    • References

    Appalachian English

    mawk

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a maggot
  • (UK, dialect, obsolete) a slattern

    • Related terms

    * mawkish * mawky