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Anon makes up a word (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 years ago by [M] to c/greentext@sh.itjust.works
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[–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Most sources indicate that it's about turkey noises.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gobbledygook

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gobbledygook#word-history

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/gobbledygook_n?tl=true&tab=etymology

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  • [+] -7 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    Ah yes, gobble is turkey sounds. Where, in those sources, does the etymology of the rest of the word get examined?

    Nowhere, except by 'elephant in the room' inference: "first used by Texas politician Maury Maverick (1895-1954), ... chairman of U.S. Smaller War Plants Corporation during World War II"

    Hmm.

    "so prevalent was the use of the word gook during the first few months of the war that U.S. General Douglas MacArthur banned its use, for fear that Asians would become alienated to the United Nations Command because of the insult." [wikipedia]

    Hmmmmmm.

    "In modern U.S. usage, "gook" refers particularly to communist soldiers during the Vietnam War and has also been used towards all Vietnamese and at other times to all Southeast Asians in general. It is considered to be highly offensive." [wikipedia]

    It's not complicated or obscure. No need to whitewash this. Anyone early genX or older (edit: who grew up in North America) will remember.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    I mean, sure? I know about "gook" and the timing does seem to work for your theory. I don't think the connection is as obvious as you do. I don't see sources for that part of it. A lot of other slurs are very thoroughly documented, including "gook" as a standalone. But if people find it offensive, easy enough to stop using it.

    I want to thank you genuinely for making the point but also you're being pretty rude so I think I'm not going to continue with this discussion.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    According to wikipedia:

    The term gobbledygook was coined by Maury Maverick, a former congressman from Texas and former mayor of San Antonio.[19] When Maverick was chairman of the Smaller War Plants Corporation during World War II, he sent a memorandum that said: "Be short and use plain English. ... Stay off gobbledygook language."[20][21] Maverick defined gobbledygook as "talk or writing which is long, pompous, vague, involved, usually with Latinized words." The allusion was to a turkey, "always gobbledygobbling and strutting with ridiculous pomposity."

    Please do a better research next time before writing an reply about some other word and making up causations where there are just correlations. Just because a word contains "gook" does not mean it's related to the word "gook"

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  • [–] -3 points 2 years ago

    I actually remain unconvinced by the non-scholarly sources people are providing, authoritatively claiming etymology on scant evidence, and believe they are relying on the self-reported motives of Maverick.

    'Gook' is only generally used as a slur, and other uses are obsolete by a century or extremely regional and rare. In 1944 the slur was the predominant usage, particularly around Maverick.

    Do you have a more authoritative source?

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