galoot slang.
(gəˈluːt)
Also galloot, geeloot.
1. Naut. (See quot. 1867.)
| 1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., Galloot, a soldier. 1835 Marryat Jac. Faithf. xxxiv, Four greater galloots were never picked up. 1865 Slang Dict., Geeloot. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Galoot, an awkward soldier..A soubriquet for the young or ‘green’ marine. |
2. ‘An awkward or uncouth fellow: often used as a term of good-natured depreciation’ (Standard Dict.). orig. U.S.
| 1866 ‘Artemus Ward’ Among the Fenians (Hotten) 30 Wake, Bessy, wake, My sweet galoot! 1869 ‘Mark Twain’ Innoc. at Home 22 He could lam any galoot of his inches in America. 1876 Besant & Rice Gold. Butterfly xxvi. 199 Until the Golden Butterfly brought him to Limerick City..he was but a poor galoot. 1892 Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker (ed. 2) 137 ‘My dear boy, I may be a galoot about literature, but you'll always be an outsider in business.’ 1898 Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Aug. 32/4 ‘Who's that galoot 'as lost his 'orse, Sis?’ Bendigo was asking. 1944 A. Clarke Coll. Plays (1963) 223 Big galoots in hobnailed boots! 1946 I. L. Idriess In Crocodile Land xxx. 209 We'll lock this silly galoot up. 1966 New Statesman 8 Apr. 497/3 The galoots who blew up Nelson's Pillar. |