Hayne & Taylor re Yukon CJ

[David Robertson]

On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Mike Cleven wrote:

> if it's purely "Canadian" in origin (like "screech" in Newfoundland).  Also
> got me to wondering if it might be a corruption of "kloosh"........like, a
> really _drunken_, possibly brain-damaged corruption......

...Howdy, Mike, and oops, I erased a line there...At all events, yup, we
use "hooch" as a purely native English-language word in Washington State,
and all over the USA as far as I've been able to observe.  In fact I was
amazed to learn of its Alaskan indigenous origin.  Please note other uses
of "hooch":  We use it for marijuana, viz. my barroom acquaintance whose
solution to the Iraq crisis is "I say let's bomb 'em with bales of hooch,
and they'll be so busy smokin' it, they won't bother us any more."
(Interestingly, this friend was named by his parents for the main
character in Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" -- or was it "The Master Builder"
by Ibsen?)

Could there be a connection with the "hooch" meaning ~ "brothel" that was
in US military slang during the Vietnam and possible Korean wars?


>
> >This is in reference to another growing side interest of mine, the status
> >of Yukon Chinook Jargon.  Looks pretty marginal, if we take these 2 light
> >- hearted fellas at face value.
>
> Worth a drinking trip to Dawson City to find out, maybe.....  :-)
>

...Amen...A most worthy homage to those who rushed the Klondike...

Dave