Friday, July 13, 2007
Hoosegow
Hoosegow is a term used in the old American west to describe a jail. Apparently, it came from a Spanish word, 'juzgado'. Thanks to Raelha for the suggestion for this word which gave us all a lot of fun on the blog today. Auntibeck pleased the voters with her meaning. Well done, Auntibeck. Tops again.
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26 comments:
The prefix "hoose" has the same root as in "hosiery". A hoosgow is a stocking with a rather ornate top, fashionable in pre-Victorian times. They went out of fashion then as they were considered too provocative. Immortalised in the famous novel (it's title escapes me, one of those 'period' things): "Go on, show us your hoosegow".
Hoosegow is a Scottish word. There is a little flap under a Scottish gentleman's sporran in which he keeps his big sharp pointy dirk. If anyone gets too familiar with him he whips out his dirk, holds it threatingly to the jugular and mutters 'do ye have a problem Jock'.
As an American growing up watching the old westerns this is a difficult word to make a definition for - it's far too familiar, and leaves my brain in the hoosegow. But...I'll give it a shot....next post....hmmmm...think, think, think....
Hoosegow: the counting, and separating of the cattle which occurs when more than one rancher brings his herd to the stockyard at the same time.
Origin of the word is believed to come from the phrase, "Hey, whose cow is that?"
Hoosegow - I believe this is often heard in ladies toilets at popular mass events where there is always a long queue. When some relieved lady opens the cubicle door to get out, the shout goes up, "Hoosegow! Hoosegow!"
(Or is it the London Taxi driver who won mastermind about 30 years ago?) Hmm, suddenly feel quite old and sad!
Just read your idea in the right-hand column and I think that would be a fun for us all. It would be quite a reward for the daily winners to see their definitions in print.
Hey, what do you mean, "do we read books!!! Coo, jeepers, crikey and gruntfuttocks! I don't think we'd be hooked on this if we didn't like words, books and the pleasures of the english language!
I don't like it as much when I already know the real definition of the word (I sympathize with Pastor Phil), but I will gamely soldier on. (End of mixed metaphor phase.)
To hoosegow is to dispute the ownership of an undesirable object, opinion, or characteristic. Examples of things which are often hoosegowed are artistic neckties ("It's not mine, it's yours."), prior votes for currently unpopular politicians ("I didn't support him, you did."), and certain ailments ("Why did you give me this?!").
Hoosegow; A russian word for the local pub or bar.
" It was friday night and we all met down at the hoosegow for drinks"
Hoosegow - it's the machine they use on geese, much like the machine they use on cows, to extract the goose milk. Milking a goose is no easy feat, mind you, as a matter of fact some say it's impossible. However, it has been rumored that the Rotund Purple-Teated Goose of Madagascar produces copious amounts of lavendar milk. However, finding said bird is another major undertaking in itself.
Hoosegow: literally means "keeper at home" or more commonly referred to as a housewife.
Every evening, Billy Joe Bob came home from his construction job, kicked off his boots, plopped down in his comfortable LazyBoy, and shouted, "Babe, bring me a beer." To which Ethyl replied, "Is that all I am to you? A hoosegow? Get your own beer!"
Am I the only one who didn't know this word? Westerns aren't my thing, though I always look the definitions up anyway - I'm too scared of accidentally giving the real answer!
Anyway, Hoosegow is the name given to (usually illegal) home made spirits, especially Whisky.
"Yon Jimmy Campbell's been kicked oot again - Morag caught him on the hoosegow"
Hoosegow:
These are microscopic bugs that feed off of the slimy stuff on your gardening hose.
P.S. I would totally buy this book and would be honored if any of my silly definitions are included. I'd make everyone in my family buy the book and brag and brag and brag until I was no longer included in family functions.
A hoosegow is akin to a hootenanny or a hoedown: that is, a big ol' party, usually amongst neighboring farmers after a long day of harvesting corn.
Ellie-Mae spent the afternoon getting herself all gussied up for the hoosegow.
I almost posted a similar definition to Sonnjea B. Somehow, hoosegow evokes that party, country dancing feel.
But instead I offer this:
Hoosegow: a mythical creature, mix of goose, horse and cow. It has wings and lays golden eggs, like a goose. It has the head and body of a horse, but its hide and hair are like a cow's, plus it has a cow's udder and tail.
lorenzothellama almost had it right...hoosegow is actually the expletive used when the big, sharp, pointy dirk in the little flap under the scots gentlemans sporran moves slightly in the wrong direction and causes nsome damage to the other thing under the sporran. The age-old mystery of whether scotsmen where anything under their kilt? They only have to have let the word hoosegow pass their lips in a blood-curdling scream once in their lives, then next minute they're down at the kilt shop buying the latest in undergarments with protective padding for men who wear kilts.
Sorry, made all that up. A hoosegow is actually a very early scottish vacuum cleaner.
jude:
Shame on you for making all the Scotsmen out there cringe!!
Sonnjea B is very close to the correct definition, but the Hoosegow is actually what we call our bi-annual Word Imperfect Convention at the municipal park in Word Imps hometown on the second weekend in January. We visit her childhood home, recently honored with an official historic marker.
There is always a great book table with discounts on all six volumes of "WordImperfect-An International Love Fest". (And of course, her childrens books, she reads to us each evening in the lobby.)
I scrimped and saved for ages before I was able to 'cross the pond' but I knew if I didn't meet brian o vretanos I would just die! Pastor Phil, lorenzothellama, bea, ingrid,etc.oh, my, gosh!! Even duckman, they are all just AMAZING!
And realityjunkie? She is a whole
hoosegow on her own...just too funny for words!! We declaim our own definitions outloud till the wee hours of the morning and no one EVER gets tired of it. Anonymous has never shown up and has declined our repeated requests to send in a definition for 'venal'.
I'm in for the Hoosegow convention!!! I'll start saving my pennies now!!
Wow! That hoosegow sounds tempting! You are all very very funny. Big hugs to you all! I hope we can have a get together some day! Wouldn't that be cool? Or it might be really disappointing because we would discover that we're all just ordinary people after all...
PS: A new meaning for hoosegow could be someone like me who basks in the limelight, loves attention, is an incredible show off, has their photo featured quite hugely on their own blog and tells everyone when their birthday is, in the hope of increasing the limelight on that occasion. My birthday is on 10 August by the way.
hoosegow- a person who sits in the dark, surfing the internet.
Hoosegow (n)- offensive Scottish slang for a gossip or busybody.
Well, I'll be at the big National Royal Welsh Hoosegow (known as Eisteddfod) in North Wales on your birthday, and won't be able to proclaim Happy Hoosegow to you, So Happy Hoosegiw for now.
Hmmm...even though a hoosegow is really the counting of the cows, I suppose it could be a good party.
Hoosegow:
An uttterly mispronounced word created for illiterite scrabble players in southern states Who's Gal? "oh hey ive got that one"
hoosegow (n): term for "goose down" products manufactured for luxury hotels by dyslexic inventor Oje Smiht for Uarla Asheyl.
Jude:
Your earlier comment reminded me of a song that was mentioned to me by two young Scottish ladies I was acquainted with back in the late 1970s. The song contained the line "Hello, Donal, where's your trousers." Donal was from the highlands and had worn his kilt on his first visit to town. We shall not discuss on this family-friendly blog what was not worn under his kilt.
Hoosegow: A term for a large hat that covers the whole head from the sun. Used mostly for those who have fear of sunlight.
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