MOOCH

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Dr. Goodword
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MOOCH

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:57 pm

• mooch •

Pronunciation: much • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, transitive

Meaning: 1. (Transitive) To cadge, bum, scrounge, grub, freeload, sponge; to beg something from someone for free. 2. (Intransitive) To loaf, waste time, wander around aimlessly; to skip or play truant as to mooch from school or work. 3. (Intransitive) To skulk, lurk, sneak about surreptitiously. 4. (Intransitive, British regional) In certain areas of England this word is used in the sense of US scram or get lost, to leave, clear off (or out).
Notes: Verbs in English that end on hissing sounds like [ch] (also [s], [z], [sh]) require an E before the suffixes -s and -d: mooches and mooched. Someone who mooches is a moocher, the most famous of whom was immortalized in the signature tune of orchestra leader, Cab Calloway, the (in)famous Minnie the Moocher. Moochers distinguish themselves, of course, by their mooching stuff off their friends.

In Play: In the US, this word is most often used to describe the intent of freeloaders: "Seamus Allgood never buys his own beer; he just mooches it from his friends." Elsewhere it serves the slang community as a substitute for loaf: "Lloyd, if you're just going to mooch around the house all day, how about helping me spruce up the cat for the cat show."

Word History: Although today's Good Word sounds very slangy, it has been around since the 14th century when it meant "to hoard". That may have been a different word, however, only accidentally similar to our word. Today's word seems more likely to have been borrowed from Old French muchier "to hide, skulk", one of the meanings it bears today. This sense could have easily migrated to "skipping school or work" (specifically to pick berries, originally) and from there to avoiding work and wasting time and, finally, living off the munificence of others.
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Postby Perry » Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:04 pm

I have a 2 DVD set of Betty Boop cartoons. (It is a source of delight to me that my 5 year old enjoys them as much as I do!) One of the wonderful and remarkable things about these old gems is the spotlight that it throws on early jazz orchestra's.

One of them has Cab Calloway doing Minnie the Moocher, another with him doing St. James infirmary, and yet another with Louis Armstrong performing I'll be Glad When You're Dead, You Devil You. In all of these cases, the orchestras get some screen time. (Somewhat amazing for an epoch with so much segregation.)

When watching Cab Calloway, I was surprised to discover that he - and most definitely not Michael Jackson - invented the moon walk dance step. No way of knowing if Cab had a name for the step, though!

I hope that you'uns don't think I'm making mooch ado about nothing.
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Postby sluggo » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:37 pm

A worthy competitor as famous Mooche song is Duke Ellington's mysterious instrumental simply called "The Mooche". In Philly years ago the local NBC-TV station would follow Saturday Night Live with a horror movie show Saturday Night Dead hosted by a local actress dressed like a trashy vampy-rella named Stella. "The Mooche" was her theme song.
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Postby gailr » Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:00 pm

A (very few) of my adult friends live in the same town where they grew up. Those of us who have moved around some believe they do this to mooch weekend meals off their parents for the rest of their lives... (wait! why are we laughing at this?)
In Philly years ago the local NBC-TV station would follow Saturday Night Live with a horror movie show Saturday Night Dead hosted by a local actress dressed like a trashy vampy-rella named Stella. "The Mooche" was her theme song.
Ah, sounds like Ned the Dead, host of Chiller Theater, broadcasting out of Green Bay, Wiscaaaaaaaaahnsin. (Although he uses the state's postal initials, pronounced as Green Bay, "Wih") I loved Ned's show and miss it...

Before that was "World of Wood Theater" in SD; I always kinda wondered what was in the hosts' coffee cups, as they appeared to consume astonishing amounts of popcorn during an evening's movie, and became silly to the point of giggling, tearful incoherence by the final commercial breaks. I did buy a set of dining chairs from them, so their "B" movie mooching antics were successful.

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Postby sluggo » Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:21 am

A (very few) of my adult friends live in the same town where they grew up. Those of us who have moved around some believe they do this to mooch weekend meals off their parents for the rest of their lives... (wait! why are we laughing at this?)
In Philly years ago the local NBC-TV station would follow Saturday Night Live with a horror movie show Saturday Night Dead hosted by a local actress dressed like a trashy vampy-rella named Stella. "The Mooche" was her theme song.
Ah, sounds like Ned the Dead, host of Chiller Theater, broadcasting out of Green Bay, Wiscaaaaaaaaahnsin. (Although he uses the state's postal initials, pronounced as Green Bay, "Wih") I loved Ned's show and miss it...

Before that was "World of Wood Theater" in SD;

-gailr
As in Ed Wood?

Pronouncing states like they're P.O.ed is a great idea. I could hear that happening in Nebraska, where both the days and nights say "NE!".
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Postby gailr » Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:39 pm


As in Ed Wood?

Pronouncing states like they're P.O.ed is a great idea. I could hear that happening in Nebraska, where both the days and nights say "NE!".
Surprisingly, no Ed Wood films were featured. :D

We are the Huskers who say, "NE!"
I like it!

-gailr

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Postby sluggo » Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:57 am


As in Ed Wood?

Pronouncing states like they're P.O.ed is a great idea. I could hear that happening in Nebraska, where both the days and nights say "NE!".
Surprisingly, no Ed Wood films were featured. :D

We are the Huskers who say, "NE!"
I like it!

-gailr
Said Huskinots will have to fight that one out with New York.
And I shutter to think what "World of Wood Theatre" wood feature, if not Ed Wood...

Meanwhilst, one can see where the state CAPS is going:

Feeling Illinois, I went to see Missouri. "Hawaii", he greeted, "I'm the Maryland".

"Arizona I know, Pennsylvania- it's Maine, Alabama!"

"Washington?? Ohio, Oklahoma! Alaska, I misplaced Michigan glasses and Idahon't know where they're Alberta" They're somewhere Indiana the Californiar and I lost the Kentucky." I had to get a Rhode Islandde from your Massachusetts..."

etc etc
:roll:
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby sluggo » Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:00 am


As in Ed Wood?

Pronouncing states like they're P.O.ed is a great idea. I could hear that happening in Nebraska, where both the days and nights say "NE!".
Surprisingly, no Ed Wood films were featured. :D

We are the Huskers who say, "NE!"
I like it!

-gailr
Said Huskinots will have to fight that one out with New York.
And I shutter to think what "World of Wood Theatre" wood feature, if not Ed Wood...

Meanwhilst, one can see where the state CAPS is going:

Feeling Illinois, I went to see Missouri. "Hawaii", he greeted, "I'm the Maryland".

"Arizona I know, Pennsylvania- it's Maine, Alabama!"

"Washington?? Ohio, Oklahoma! Alaska, I misplaced Michigan glasses and Idahon't know where they're Alberta" They're somewhere Indiana the Californiar and I lost the Kentucky." I had to get a Rhode Islandde from your Massachusetts..."

etc etc
:roll:
Oh Delawarear, a misspell. That should be Idahoo'nt
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

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Postby skinem » Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:43 pm

ID have counted to TN OR MO before posting this IN this thread, but couldn't help MEself...OHVA!

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Postby gailr » Thu Jun 29, 2006 3:33 pm

And I shutter to think what "World of Wood Theatre" wood feature, if not Ed Wood...
Pretty much anything mined later by MST3K...
Oh Delawarear, a misspell.
Delaware, another fine state. They tell me I was born there, but I really don't remember...
-gailr

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Postby sluggo » Thu Jun 29, 2006 5:03 pm

MST3K...
WA? WIsH I MIght say OH OK, WY NT, bUT ID ON't COmpreheND...daMN
--(there, I got yer state in :wink: )
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!


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