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Ook vs Gook - What's the difference?

ook | gook |

As an interjection ook

is the cry of a monkey.

As a noun gook is

(slang|vulgar|pejorative|offensive|ethnic slur) a person from the far east, oceania or southeast asia, in particular a vietnamese, filipino, chinese, korean person or gook can be (informal) grime or mud.

ook

English

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • The cry of a monkey.
  • * 1995 , Terry Pratchett, Soul Music
    • He tapped the Librarian on the shoulder. "Excuse me —" "Ook ?" "Those guys just called you a monkey," said Glod.
  • * 2004 , Robert Arellano, Don Dimaio of La Plata
    • The irate ape cries, "Ook ook ! Ai ai ai!" He springs off the edge of the stone basin, clawing Cantare across the face and bursting through the door.
  • * 2014 , Victoria Wessex, Shipwrecked with the Billionaire Rock Star
    • Fingers pinched my eyelashes and lifted one eyelid. I looked straight into a big, leathery black face surrounded by brown fur. “Ook ?” asked the monkey.

    Synonyms

    * ooh-ah-ah

    gook

    English

    Etymology 1

    Use traced to U.S. Marines in Philippines in early 20th century. Dictionary.com]Pearson, Kim, "[http://kpearson.faculty.tcnj.edu/Dictionary/gook.htm Gook". Earliest recorded example is dated 1920.Seligman, Herbert J., " The Conquest of Haiti", The Nation, July 10, 1920. * Folk etymology suggests that during the Korean War, young Korean children would point at U.S. soldiers and shout ", guk) itself simply means "country". This explanation ignores the fact that there are many examples of the word's use that pre-date the Korean War.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang, vulgar, pejorative, offensive, ethnic slur) A person from the Far East, Oceania or Southeast Asia, in particular a Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean person.
    • Usage notes
    * In the US, gook refers particularly to a Vietnamese person in the context of the Vietnam War, and particularly to the Viet Cong. It is generally considered highly offensive, on a par with nigger.

    Etymology 2

    Possible blend of goop and gunk.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (informal) Grime or mud.
  • * {{quote-book, 1983, Len O'Connor, A Reporter in Sweet Chicago, isbn=0809276488 citation
    • , passage="Roost No More" was a yellow gook that Joe's people would spread around, for a fee, on the ledges of houses and commercial buildings plagued by pigeons.}}
    Derived terms
    * gooky * gook up

    See also

    * gook wagon

    References

    English ethnic slurs English terms with unknown etymologies