Gazookus

Gazookus:
Is an archaic American colloquial domestic expression that was used from the 1900s to the 1940s and does not appear in many publications nowadays. Even though there are references to "gazookus" in , there are no explanation as to how or why of its usage.
Gazookus was an expression popularized by the lower class of the U.S. citizenry on the East Coast during the beginning of the 20th Century and somebody could refer to another person as a lout, a boor, a fool or even a doofus by using it. During the 1920s it was also used to refer to some tangible or intangible object as a thing, "the real gazookus", could be translated as the real thing or the geuine article. Its etymological roots are unknown. *
Gazookus was also used in the original Popeye the Sailorman's theme song, Popeye’s theme song, titled "I'm Popeye The Sailor Man", was composed by Sammy Lerner in 1933 for Fleischer’s first Popeye the Sailor cartoon, it has become forever associated with the sailor.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man (lyrics):
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm strong to the fin-ich
Cause I eats me spin-ach
I'm Popeye the sailor man.
I'm one tough Gazookus
Which hates all Palookas
What ain't on the up and square.
I biffs 'em and buffs 'em
And always out roughs 'em
But none of 'em gets nowhere.
If anyone dares to risk my Fisk,
It's Boff and it's Wham, understand?
So keep Good Be-hav-or
That's your one life saver
With Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm strong to the fin-ich
Cause I eats me spin-ach
I'm Popeye the sailor man
*Cassell's Dictionary of Slang, by Jonathon Green
 
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