Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Pilot Lounge > Hangar Talk
Where does the term Gouge come from? >

Where does the term Gouge come from?

Notices
Hangar Talk For non-aviation-related discussion and aviation threads that don't belong elsewhere

Where does the term Gouge come from?

Old 07-01-2018, 06:03 PM
  #1  
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
 
Av8tr1's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2014
Position: And hold
Posts: 311
Default Where does the term Gouge come from?

When pilots ask for a “Gouge” the term doesn’t seem to make sense to me. It doesn’t fit within the definition of gouge. So when and why did pilots come to use the term “Gouge” to describe information about something?
Av8tr1 is offline  
Old 07-01-2018, 06:17 PM
  #2  
Gets Weekends Off
 
sourdough44's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Sep 2013
Position: Left
Posts: 636
Default

Seems to be a handful of explanations floating around. Yeah, the term may take some getting used to, then it grows on you.

https://fightersweep.com/6380/live-gouge-die-gouge/

This link covers most of it. Some references go back at least to WWII.
sourdough44 is offline  
Old 07-01-2018, 06:29 PM
  #3  
Moderate Moderator
 
UAL T38 Phlyer's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Curator at Static Display
Posts: 5,681
Default

The best explanation I have heard: in the days of wooden desktops in schools (real wood; not simulated stuff), guys would either look for....or leave...marks in the desktop from the previous guy taking a test.

The implication was, if he pressed hard enough, the pen or pencil would leave an indentation...a 'gouge"....that could be read by the next guy.

If a guy did it deliberately for the guys who followed, it was giving them "the gouge."

That one makes the most sense to me.

The term fell in to such common usage that a few generations later, no one knows what it means....just like the teens today who have no idea that the clothing line "Aeropostale" means "Air Mail" in French (I told my neices and nephew; they thought I was full of it...unitl google translate proved me right. They'll believe the internet before their Uncle...).
UAL T38 Phlyer is offline  
Old 07-01-2018, 10:30 PM
  #4  
Administrator
 
vagabond's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: C-172
Posts: 8,024
Default

Could have been fake news, but didn't people used to gouge the eyes out of others who wouldn't share their lunch or something?
vagabond is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TiredSoul
Cargo
9
03-30-2018 04:44 AM
FlynLow
Cargo
27
04-25-2017 09:42 AM
t6marine
Career Questions
0
08-13-2010 01:27 PM
CHayes1126
Regional
2
11-09-2007 04:59 PM
Sasquatch
Cargo
10
11-09-2006 03:28 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices