Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An albatross, especially the black-footed albatross. Also called gooney bird.
Wiktionary
- n. Any of several albatrosses, especially the black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes) and the Laysan albatross, that dwell primarily on islands in the Pacific Ocean, often near naval bases.
- n. a foolish, silly or awkward person or thing; a goon.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a variety of albatross with black feet
Etymologies
- Origin unknown.
Examples
“Thus, while I can't speak to how Spike Milligan came up with the title of "The Goon Show," it's clear that the term "gooney" and probably the short form "goon" was widely used in England going back to the early 19th century.”
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #156 | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources
““The gooney birds are no longer with us,” reported Task Force Times that day.”
“Unlike France, nobody much goes there, aside from the native gooney birds.”
William Bradley: Remembering America: Obama's D-Day Speech and Two Days in June
“I mean the prime craziness of the conspiracy gooney birds is the notion that the less the evidence, the more proof the authorities saw of conspiracy.”
“Me, the King of the Mimeo Revolution (according to Booklist), zinging around through cyberspace like a gooney bird.”
john bennett | murmurs and shards « poetry dispatch & other notes from the underground
“The very night of the Seles incident, four gooney birds rambled onto Cleveland's Municipal Stadium diamond -- one shook Indians outfielder Albert Belle's hand, another slid headfirst onto home plate -- and after making sports so great were promptly arrested.”
“There's quite a few gooney birds out there," Joyner says.”
“A neighbor who watched me challenge the elements of suburbia compared my ride to the spectacle of a gooney bird trying to land.”
“Gony" and "gooney" then became quite prominent in British publications in the 19th century beginning in 1804.”
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #156 | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources
“On other occasions he would swoop through our room with arms outstretched describing how gooney birds albatrosses would perch on the wings of his B-17 and hitch a ride during takeoff.”
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