Talk:Goon

message: Since the word "goon" originally referred to someone who was employed as someone's muscle I don't like the use of the word "thug" as clarification. The Western use of the word "thug" is supposed to be based on the only contact Western traders had with the Thugee cults (to Europeans a thug was specifically someone who robbed travelers or attacked trade caravans). In the Eastern sense a "thug" was a Thugee (they were a specific religious cult that engaged in murder & violence). While the terms are used interchangeably in much of the U.S., the word "thug" has a very specific meaning that "goon" does not match. If anyone has a problem with this edit let's discuss the matter. 24.145.157.81 (talk) 00:34, 4 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Word origin 

message: Should this be a proper disambig page?   — P Ingerson (talk) 11:48, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, yes it should. I'll take care of it soon. Commander Keane 03:40, 23 July 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Should this be a disambig? 

message: As far as I'm aware, the usage originated in the West with the "Goon" tribe of savages from the Popeye comics, notably Alice the Goon ...  If nobody has any objections I'll edit the page ?  — Hobart 07:42, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Popeye / Segar origins? 

message: It was vandalism, now removed.--Commander Keane 21:27, 3 January 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Who's josh? 

message: I usually hear aliens (as in some games) be refered as "goons", any comment? →AzaToth 21:10, 11 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  aliens? 

message: :Hired thugs employed by bosses or other authorities to break up strikes and protests, or to guard places. See bouncer.
Isn't this a bit offensive to those of us employed in the door supervision industry? Pienamo 09:59, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: In Scandinavia thugs hired for pay to carry out threats, extortion, violence, sabotage or murder are commonly called torpedos. In Oslo during the 1980’s and 1990’s the most feared torpedos were ranked at the top of the food chain in the criminal underworld. These torpedos were largely recruited from their legal profession as bouncers. Many bouncers’ use of excessive force and close ties to organized crime gave their profession a very bad reputation, until the police succeeded in their quest to have laws implemented regulating the business with doormen having to fulfill certain requirements in order to obtain licenses to work at bars and clubs. Until quite recently it was common in Norway to regard bouncers as goons. In my opinion a doorman with a habit of using excessive force deserves being labelled as a goon. I’m not sure if the English language has a better word than goon as an equivalent to the Scandinavian use of the word torpedo for hired muscle. Possibly enforcer. Busynissen (talk) 18:07, 26 December 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bouncers 

message: Goon Squad as explained to me by my grandfather Charles Teodor Hansson (also spelled Hansen) who was the press foreman and union organizer at the San Francisco Examiner goes back to the days when William Randolf Hearst had thugs to discourage the union movement at his printing plant on 3rd & Stevenson, San Francisco.  The Examiner at the time carried Popeye comics and Alice the Goon was a new character.  My grandfather organized his own squad of locals to retaliate.  This lead Hearst, who always referred to my grandfather as 'The Swede,' to 'inform' the public about the union's use of 'Goon Squads' to terrorize workers.  So my understanding is that 'goon' term originally was to demonize union 'protection' squads (who were most likely doing the same things as management hired thugs).  FAHansson (talk) 22:18, 1 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Goon Squad 

message: I think the Goon Show (BBC Radio) c. 1951-58, should feature on the list. Valetude (talk) 11:16, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Goon Show 

message: Rangiora in Canterbury, New Zealand is referred to by locals as “Goon” it should be added here 118.149.84.193 (talk) 13:07, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rangiora