Comments on: Mookum http://www.word-detective.com/2013/09/mookum/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 12 May 2021 01:44:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.1 By: PieCatLady http://www.word-detective.com/2013/09/mookum/comment-page-1/#comment-932165 Sun, 22 Nov 2020 02:15:35 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=8517#comment-932165 Hello Word Detective. My first visit to your site and (ta-da!) here’s more info than I was looking for. Detective Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach, “Law and Order” TV show) frequently called unsavory characters “mooks” which was a new word to me. Thought I’d find out the origin, years later of course. Then here’s “mookum” and “skookum” – good additions to my slanguage of choice. Thanks much and see…er READ…you again soon.

]]> By: Dorman http://www.word-detective.com/2013/09/mookum/comment-page-1/#comment-870901 Sat, 16 May 2020 22:38:02 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=8517#comment-870901 Helene — I have actually seen that word written as jamook — don’t hold me to it, but I believe it might have been in an online discussion (about the origins of mook) which involved, at one point, the late, great Harlan Ellison, who was known to drop in and comment and chat with visitors to the online site devoted to him and his work.

I don’t recall if the Italian work jamoke was ever introduced into the discussion, but — either way — it seems as if YOUR contribution should be added to all the evidence collected by “The Word Detective”. :)

]]> By: Helene Kirschbaum http://www.word-detective.com/2013/09/mookum/comment-page-1/#comment-868676 Sat, 09 May 2020 14:52:55 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=8517#comment-868676 I’m wondering if mook is a shortened form of “jamoke”, an idiot of the Italian variety.

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