goon

goon
goon 1921, "stupid person," from gony "simpleton" (1580s), of unknown origin, but applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (1839); sense of "hired thug" first recorded 1938 (in ref. to union "beef squads" used to cow strikers in the Pacific northwest), probably from Alice the Goon, slow-witted and muscular (but gentle-natured) character in "Thimble Theater" comic strip (starring Popeye) by E.C. Segar (1894-1938). She also was the inspiration for British comedian Spike Milligan's "The Goon Show." What are now "juvenile delinquents" were in the 1940s sometimes called goonlets.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • goon — goon; goon·da; goon·die; goon·gar·rite; jar·goon; la·goon·al; la·goon·side; dra·goon; la·goon; ran·goon; …   English syllables

  • goon|ey — goon|y or goon|ey «GOO nee», noun, plural goon|ies. a goony bird; albatross. goony or gooney bird, = albatross. (Cf. ↑albatross) …   Useful english dictionary

  • goon — [gu:n] n informal [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: Partly from gooney stupid person (16 19 centuries); partly from Alice the Goon, character invented by the U.S. cartoonist E. C. Segar] 1.) especially BrE a silly or stupid person 2.) especially AmE a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • goon — ► NOUN informal 1) a foolish or eccentric person. 2) chiefly N. Amer. a ruffian or thug. ORIGIN perhaps from dialect gooney «stupid person»; later influenced by the American cartoon character Alice the Goon …   English terms dictionary

  • goon — ☆ goon [go͞on ] n. Slang 1. [< ?] a ruffian or thug, esp. one hired to help break a strike, etc. 2. [after Alice the Goon, grotesque comic strip figure created by E. C. Segar (1894 1938), U.S. cartoonist] a person who is awkward, grotesque,… …   English World dictionary

  • Goon la — Goon lā (Nepal Bhasa:गुं ला) is a month of Nepalese calendar Nepal Sambat. The month roughly corresponds to August of Gregorian Calendar. The month is marked by musical pilgrimage made by Newars. Every morning during the month, Newari bands from… …   Wikipedia

  • goon — [ gun ] noun count INFORMAL 1. ) a strong or violent man whose job is to protect his employer: We were surrounded by security goons. 2. ) a stupid person who is always breaking things …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • goon — [n] ruffian bozo*, bruiser*, dope, gorilla*, hood*, hooligan*, jerk, lummox, moron, nincompoop, ninny, sap, strong arm, thug, tough guy*; concepts 412,423 …   New thesaurus

  • goon|da — «GUN duh», noun. a thug in India. ╂[< Hindi gu ā] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Goon — A goon is is a term for a hired thug. That is usually sent out to do the dirty work for the people who hire them. It is also used as a word meaning fool. A goon can also be a member of a gang like the Goon Squad.Goon may also refer to: *… …   Wikipedia

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