i don't know... from Bean (above) The use of "goon" to mean "hired thug" probably derived from this "idiot" sense, but another theory (proposed by Hugh Rawson in his excellent book "Wicked Words") traces it to the Hindi word "gunda," meaning "hired tough," apparently often spelled "goondah" in British newspapers of the 1920s.

given that a word often is in use for 10 to 20 years before it makes it into print.. and sometimes longer..

it could have come from India, via sailors, and slowly worked its way into common speech, and finally into print..

it might have even influenced the naming of Alice the goon, who as i recall, was big, pin headed and as strong as an ox-- Popeye never wanted to hit a woman, but didn't Alice the goon temp him to do so?


my other obsession