Gook vs Goon - What's the difference?
gook | goon |
(slang, vulgar, pejorative, offensive, ethnic slur) A person from the Far East, Oceania or Southeast Asia, in particular a Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean person.
(informal) Grime or mud.
* {{quote-book, 1983, Len O'Connor, A Reporter in Sweet Chicago, isbn=0809276488
, 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.}}
A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
A fool; someone considered silly, stupid, awkward, or outlandish.
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=5 (ice hockey, pejorative) An enforcer or fighter.
(Australia, countable, informal) A wine flagon or cask.
* 2009 , , Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?: Misadventures in Music ,
(Australia, uncountable, informal) Cheap or inferior cask wine.
* 2010 , , The Mary Smokes Boys ,
* 2010 , Jason Leung, This All Encompassing Trip: Chasing Pearl Jam Around the World ,
* 2011 , E.C. McSween, et al., Boganomics: The Science of Things Bogans Like ,
As nouns the difference between gook and goon
is that gook is a person from the Far East, Oceania or Southeast Asia, in particular a Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean person while goon is a thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').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)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)citation
Derived terms
* gooky * gook upSee also
* gook wagongoon
English
Etymology 1
Shortened from (gooney), from obsolete gony'' ("simpleton", circa 1580), of unknown origin. ''Gony was applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (circa 1839). Goon first carried the meaning "stupid person" (circa 1921). * The meaning of "hired thug" (circa 1938) is largely influenced by the comic strip character series. * The "fool" sense was reinforced by the popular radio program, .Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon , born rather too early she suspected.}}
Derived terms
* goony * goon squadSee also
* goonie * gooney * gooney birdEtymology 2
Diminutive slang for flagon.Noun
(-)page 11,
- We drank goons of cheap wine.
unnumbered page,
- ‘On the night of our school graduation he stole a flagon of goon wine and disappeared into the woods. The police found him the next day asleep on the creek.’
page 384,
- With these instructions, we take turns sipping the wine directly from the bottle on the beach. It?s not the classiest thing to do but the fact that it?s in a bottle already makes it classier than all the boxes of goon we?ve consumed this trip.
unnumbered page,
- Red wine was consumed largely by posh folk, white wine meant goon , mention of a Jägerbomb would have sent its father ducking for cover, and ‘sex on the beach’ meant just that.