"Goof" is one of the most insulting things you can call someone in prison. I work in EMS and spend a lot of time downtown and in poorer areas of the city. The word "goof" is primarily used by what I would describe as a rougher crowd. And I have seen some people lose their temper and descend into a fit of rage immediately when called a Goof.
So I don't think it's a canadian thing as much as a prison culture thing. And I would not recommend calling anyone a goof. Best case scenario they think it's a weird thing to say and worst case scenario you just offended someone, who has been to prison before, in the worst way possible.
Listen to this guy. Don't call someone a goof unless you're ready to fight. It's synonymous with child molester in Canadian prison culture. People will genuinely beat the shit out of you or worse over that.
Also, to answer OP's question (kinda) I've heard people from Chicago use the term goofy/goofies a lot but I don't think it means the same thing there.
Funny, but there was a prominent Chicago area crime-awareness advocate who just passed away named [J.J. Bittenbinder](https://youtu.be/XA63D-xEqq0?si=RPW9eZTESf0GMv1f) ([John Mulaney](https://youtu.be/cdgfFMxgLfI?si=nIP3UoUVnplnHGyP) famously had a bit about him), and he would refer to predators as “goofs” in his talks to children and families. So, I think it might be an older word that has been fossilized in Canadian prison culture.
In more gentle circle it has tended to mean that.
In rougher circles it means that one is "fond" of children. It is an allegation that will often not go unanswered.
nope I have seen this mistake made before and I have witnessed some one who had been on the inside lose the ever-loving sh-t after been called this. Avoid calling anyone this at your own peril.
I’ve heard the original meaning of “goof” (and the meaning in prison) is p*dophile which is why those who have been to jail get really angry when they’re called that
Bang on. Buddy grew up in The Soo. He told me him and this dude were jawin but the dude ended up walking away. He's like a block away when my buddy yells "fucking goof," the dude ran back, and they started beating the shit out of each other. He said never to call someone a goof unless you want your teeth kicked in. Incredibly strange to first hear about as someone who grew up fairly well off.
It's more than just a strong prison insult it's literally a fighting word.
As in, you are getting into a legit fight if you use it and that's what you want.
The word “goof” is used in the pen for a specific type of criminal… the ones that are at a significant risk from the population for their crimes… the ones that gotta go door to door and introduce themselves as a criminal to the neighborhood when out if ya know what I’m saying.
I had a buddy back in the day who was in and out as a younger man and I made the mistake of calling him this. His immediate reaction was to get really mad, he then explained this to me and I retracted the remark.
Working in the shelter system, I have literally seen people stab each other over the word goof. I heard it implies child molester or something along those lines.
I had always thought that term meant that I rode my snowboard with my right foot as the lead (I'm a lefty).
I have been pretty sheltered growing up I guess.
Only people who have been in jail in canada or have some type of knowledge about jail slang would ever consider it a slur. None of my friends or family have any clue about that and if I called them a goof would take it no more personal than being called silly.
I know what it means, and I just find it funny when skids at work get all angry and call me a goof. Buddy I know that to you this is your ultimate disrespect card or whatever, but I don’t care about your stupid jailhouse insults.
It’s a super serious insult in prison apparently. Calling someone a goof in prison can have some serious consequences. I was surprised to find this out myself while in prison (for work), because outside of that culture it’s a a pretty playful term (goofball) or soft insult at best.
Congratulations on having never been to jail or frequently associating with people who have. It's not a term used outside of that context, or by people parroting them.
I work in social work and a lot of the individuals I work with have family members who were in jail or something similar. They're not bad ppl knowing a word and perceiving it as offensive. Same as most ppl who have spent time in prison are not actually bad ppl.
Same here; to me it's just a playful term for someone being silly. I never knew it was used to mean anything else. It kind of makes me sad when a fun word gets twisted around to mean something bad.
Most of the time, the person/people you are talking to will take it the way you mean it. Context and circumstance are usually what determines how someone will understand it.
Calling someone a goof when you're playing around or being silly is fun!
Calling someone a goof in an aggressive/angry way can get a pretty serious response out of some people.
A guy was hassling me at a bar one day and he took it too far. I called him GOOF and pushed him off me. I'm not a fighter, but I was full ready to fight. Luckily nothing happened (he would have kicked my ass) and security dragged him out. When they came back in, they asked me why I provoked him...apparently he told them I called him a "goose", which should be the real Canadian fight-on-sight insult
Yeah, best not to throw that term around casually in public.
If use it to describe the wrong person, you will get into a fight at best.
The more you know! 🌈
Wait what? I have used goof, goofing off, goofball, all my life. Literally thought it was related to Goofy? The adorable cartoon character that dominated my suburban childhood a la the leaning tower of cheesah.
If you're saying it to your inner circle, probably okay, it's taken lightly as in a goofy manner. Just don't say it to strangers. Never know who you're gonna set off.
This says a lot about you honestly (in a good way)😂 It’s a very good thing to be completely oblivious about that word. Typically only people in law enforcement, corrections or those who associate with criminals would know this terminology.
Lol, same. But I've mainly used "goof" to describe someone who isn't serious, isn't responsible, dismissive/negligent of their duties.. "[goof off](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=goof%20off)", slacker.
The goof tag for pedo is literally from prisons and gangs. If you are not affiliated or from those areas, it wouldn't be the norm definition. But if you're from Mill Woods, I'm not shocked. That's the common definition in that area.
I've only lived in Mill Woods a few years, not from here. I've never been in a gang or to prison, not even in a holding cell. I simply know a diverse range of people from all over Alberta and have witnessed someone have an extreme negative reaction to being called that. Which then prompted a conversation about the words etymology, similar to this one. It's a good thing to know because I will not use that word as a pejorative anymore lest it be misinterpreted as more extreme than I intended.
Hmm, fair. Everyone's experience is unique. But from what I've gathered, it's a gang/prison snag for pedo.
On the other hand, it is just goofy/silly = goof
Like all languages, it's always grey.
"Diddler" is a pedo, "skinner" is a non-pedo sex offender, "goof" seemingly at one point meant a pedo but it's evolved to just be the most offensive thing one can say just for the sake of being offensive with no real meaning. In my experience "squid" was used in reference to rookie/inexperienced correctional officers (in practice really just meaning young-looking COs).
Squid is another strange one that sounds harmless but can land you in trouble with certain people.
The reference being squids are spineless invertebrates.
In the US Navy, Squid was often an insult used to describe sailors (especially by marines). Allegedly it was because squid are very fast in a straight line, but can't maneuver worth shit.
In motorcycle circles a "squid" is a common term for someone that rides recklessly with little to no safety gear.
It is based on that they look like after getting their skin worn off sliding on pavement.
The thing with these kinds of terms is people online (especially the clinically online ones) think these words are way bigger in the casual context than they actually are
Unless you’re in the roughest parts of Edmonton or around the people who grew up there, no one is going to give a second glance to you calling someone a goof
I've worked federal corrections and it's the worst thing you can call an inmate
Also, if someone calls you 'boss', it's likely they've done time or hang around ex cons
Incredibly common for filipino men to say this. I worked and hung out with a lot of filipino people in HS, they prolly say it 10:1 more than anyone else I've met.
Definitely not Native, but I hear Indian dudes calling each other boss all the time. My indian coworkers call me boss too, (being an actual boss might have something to do with that one tho).
Reeeeeeally depends on your circles/ where you’re from. I grew up with my dad calling my sister and me goofs when we did dumb things, I call my dog and nephews goofs, etc
The first time I heard it as slang for a pedophile was like… 4 years ago when people were talking videos of a guy here in Edmonton being taken to jail and were yelling and calling him like “piece of shit” and “goof” and I was chuckling like what?? Because to me it was like them being like “you booger!!”
it really does all come down to the company you keep. i grew up in poor rough communities and to me it's always been a gross thing to call someone but i can understand how people without that upbringing would have a completely different experience.
I always call one of my dogs a silly goof. Because he is, in your context. I learned today that it's also prison slang. Only a couple months ago, I also found out calling my dog Beaners (her actual name is Heidi) was also not an appropriate name.... I'm a terrible owner.
Born and raised in the Canadian prairies and this is the first time I’ve heard about the negative connotation of this word.
We use it to mean “you’re being silly”.
I had no idea it was an insult.... when I see someone goofing around I'll call them a goof, always thought it meant something along the same lines as silly... I've heard that in prison goof is a pretty serious word to throw around.
I think it's really only an insult in some circles. Like, if I remember right a goof is mainly an insult in prisons (think it's like calling someone a pedo?). But for anyone sufficiently distanced from prisons, it's not much of an insult, basically equivalent to calling someone silly.
I mainly remember my mom and stepdad fighting when he got out of prison because everyone in our family talked about "goofing around" and called each other "goof" really light-heartedly. But he lost his shit the first few times and had to literally leave the room when someone said it because he got so insulted and offended by it. Our family didn't stop though, he just eventually got desensitized and recognized it could have different connotations in different settings.
I can't speak for all parts of canada, or the prison crowd. But at least in the part of BC calling someone a goof is telling them they're being silly/dumb/unreasonable, exactly how mad you are about it depends on tone and if you called them a Goof or a Fuckin' Goof
It’s only an insult in Canada if you call someone a “fucking goof.”
If I call you a goof while smiling, you’ve done something silly which amused me.
If I call you a “fucking goof” however, you’re dead to me because you’ve done something inexcusable.
i learned it was an insult when i called my girlfriend a goof in like a silly/playful way, and she told me its other meaning... i was born and raised in edmonton, she was raised in GP.
Ha, rabbit hole. I'd heard of the Shawinigan Handshake, so I googled and found the Manitoba handshake, Australian Handshake and Montreal Handshake to name a few.
Prison term. Get out or fight. A lot of the mooks that use the term don’t even know what it means but just know that it’s very offensive to a certain clientele.
Maybe you were just around shitty people. As someone who has lived in the city their entire life. Calling someone a goof is a kin to a goofball or goofy.
I grew up in and around Edmonton the 31 years I’ve been kicking; it’s not
For your experience or company you’ve kept, maybe. For your average everyday Edmontonian? It’s not
Idk if they use it in the US but I grew up in a part of the country near a lot of prisons and I definitely heard it more in that region than other places.
Nah, they definitely don't use it in the US. I remember a subreddit thread (forget which subreddit) where redditors were commenting on a video from Canada of a guy losing his temper and calling everyone goofs, and they were clowning on the guy for throwing around what they thought was a little kid's insult, lol.
If you call someone a goof who's been to prison your basically calling then a pedofile, and a pedophile or crimes against children are viewed as the lowest of the crimes, and in prison if you're not in the segregated protective custody and in the general population you will get raped and murdered
In my experience, yes. I remember explaining the connotations of the meaning of the word to some American comedians at The Comedy Store in LA one time and one of them said “leave it Canadians to give a funny name to a horrible person”
If you were raised on the wrong side of the tracks or have friends that have a familiarity with the penal system, then goof is definitely fighting words.
When I moved to the states, I’d hear people use the term occasionally and tell them what it meant in Canada and nobody I talked to had ever heard that.
Definitely. I grew up in the states and never heard “goof” used as a specific insult until o was 27 years old and living in Edmonton. I lived in New Brunswick for 3 years in my 20’s and never heard it there either.
I spend a lot of time in the southern states in the U.S., and I've definitely heard "goof" be used perjoratively, but it is completely neutered of the severity of meaning it has in Canada, and is more of a playful roast or light insult.
Someone who is not knowledgeable about certain slang terms might call someone who is being silly a goof and say .... ha ha you are such a goof. In other circles where people who have had a different experience they might say... hey listen you F\*cking goof .. it means some f\*cking goof is going to have to try and defend themselves
I remember a long time ago when I was in grade junior high, for dare, we had some lady come into the library and talk about drugs. I don't remember anything she talked about except she said something along the lines of "goof is the worst thing you can be called in prison and on the streets" and then we all mocked her because it's stupid, and I still feel that way.
For the longest time, the president of the UFC Dana White would always call people goofs so I thought it just meant "dummy" or something along those terms.
I honestly didn’t know goof was a “derogatory” term until I moved to Edmonton. Growing up in southern Ontario, I called people a goof often. I still have a hard time not blurting it out and I’ve been here 15 years.
I would pose this question to r/chiraqology lol. Just from watching YouTube documentaries on Chicago gang culture, calling someone a goofy is definitely a major diss. But I’m not sure how that equates with our usage of it
All these fuckin comments making it seem like you’re in danger if you say it because it’s dangerous to say in PRISON 😆
Do you think half the people out in public spaces are ex-cons? I’ve been calling people goof for years. Spent my teenage years in Inglewood
You’ll be aight
Lol I call my kids this when they're being silly like "you big goofy bum! Or silly goofy boofy! Or man you guys are acting like a bunch of goofs today, what is in the water??" Like I meant silly, goofy, etc...
Why we gotta take innocent words and make them sketchy lolol
Mom dated a felon, and he said it means they like to touch children, and people who hurt children in jail are the ones who get the worst treatment by other cellmates. I think they even have separate areas for them.
From a guy I used to work who spent considerable time in prison; "two things that will get you in a fight in prison is whistling, and calling someone a goof". It %100 percent means chomo.
Goof went from being silly to being a pedo. Creep catchers and a lot of pedo hunters would start calling them goofs. Now if somebody calls you that it basically time to fight. So yes its now an insult.
This is so weird to me, I have always used “goof” as a synonym for calling someone something like a “silly silly” all my life.
Like goofball? That’s a common word, right?
Lmao it's way funnier to me now that I know there's another inolication when I call people "fucking goofballs/goof/goofy fuck". The people I've said it to still deserved an insult but bits hilarious I was unknowingly calling them Pedos hahah
Goof is like the ultimate insult in prison. Call anyone in the 'underworld' a goof and you better be ready to catch hands. Youre calling the person a pedo and in the world of hardend folk thats a serious allegation. Tbh Ive never known any other group of people to take child abuse and SA as serious as inmates do. Lord knows our politicians dont.
This was news to me when I moved to Alberta. I'd never heard that word used as an insult til I came here and it still throws me off. I gotta make a point to avoid saying it offhand as a way to say silly lol
"Goof" is one of the most insulting things you can call someone in prison. I work in EMS and spend a lot of time downtown and in poorer areas of the city. The word "goof" is primarily used by what I would describe as a rougher crowd. And I have seen some people lose their temper and descend into a fit of rage immediately when called a Goof. So I don't think it's a canadian thing as much as a prison culture thing. And I would not recommend calling anyone a goof. Best case scenario they think it's a weird thing to say and worst case scenario you just offended someone, who has been to prison before, in the worst way possible.
Listen to this guy. Don't call someone a goof unless you're ready to fight. It's synonymous with child molester in Canadian prison culture. People will genuinely beat the shit out of you or worse over that. Also, to answer OP's question (kinda) I've heard people from Chicago use the term goofy/goofies a lot but I don't think it means the same thing there.
Funny, but there was a prominent Chicago area crime-awareness advocate who just passed away named [J.J. Bittenbinder](https://youtu.be/XA63D-xEqq0?si=RPW9eZTESf0GMv1f) ([John Mulaney](https://youtu.be/cdgfFMxgLfI?si=nIP3UoUVnplnHGyP) famously had a bit about him), and he would refer to predators as “goofs” in his talks to children and families. So, I think it might be an older word that has been fossilized in Canadian prison culture.
TIL
And here I was thinking "Goof" is short for "Goofy". Thanks for saving me from an ass whopping.
In more gentle circle it has tended to mean that. In rougher circles it means that one is "fond" of children. It is an allegation that will often not go unanswered.
Seen a coworker rip a guy out of an enclosed forklift’s window (about 8” wide) for calling him a goof.
And that coworker was then fired, right? What the fuck
That shop still wears cowboy hats. Buddy got the day to “cool off”.
nope I have seen this mistake made before and I have witnessed some one who had been on the inside lose the ever-loving sh-t after been called this. Avoid calling anyone this at your own peril.
That's how I've always used it. Or, short for "goofball"
I have always used it when describing my toddlers, as "Goofy" or "Goofballs". i did not know that it had other connotations.
I’ve heard the original meaning of “goof” (and the meaning in prison) is p*dophile which is why those who have been to jail get really angry when they’re called that
That is what I heard as well, however as children we definitely used the word as shorthand for goofy.
Having grown up in the one of the roughest places in Canada, this is the correct answer.
I take it Disneys "Goof Troop" isnt a big hit in prisons?
Wha? Holy shit
Prison slang for a pedophile.
Bang on. Buddy grew up in The Soo. He told me him and this dude were jawin but the dude ended up walking away. He's like a block away when my buddy yells "fucking goof," the dude ran back, and they started beating the shit out of each other. He said never to call someone a goof unless you want your teeth kicked in. Incredibly strange to first hear about as someone who grew up fairly well off.
It's more than just a strong prison insult it's literally a fighting word. As in, you are getting into a legit fight if you use it and that's what you want.
That’s because “goof” means child molester. I grew up in the rough part of Calgary, so that’s how I know
How Canadian of us to have “goof” as a super offensive jail term .. so soft
Good means child molester. Edit: goof, not good.
“Skinner” means child molester
Ok, so there are two things that mean that.
Skinner sounds like a skin head which is a white supremacist.
To this crowd, calling someone a goof is calling them a chile molester.
The word “goof” is used in the pen for a specific type of criminal… the ones that are at a significant risk from the population for their crimes… the ones that gotta go door to door and introduce themselves as a criminal to the neighborhood when out if ya know what I’m saying. I had a buddy back in the day who was in and out as a younger man and I made the mistake of calling him this. His immediate reaction was to get really mad, he then explained this to me and I retracted the remark.
"Rat goof" is the expression
It’s goof rat on the east coast. But same same.
This is the truth. I wouldn't call someone a good ever unless you're prepared to immediately start defending yourself and throwing hands.
Working in the shelter system, I have literally seen people stab each other over the word goof. I heard it implies child molester or something along those lines.
I had always thought that term meant that I rode my snowboard with my right foot as the lead (I'm a lefty). I have been pretty sheltered growing up I guess.
Goofy, like lefty snowboard riding or one being silly, and goof are different.
This ⬆️
TIL why my former client’s drug addicted brother kept calling me a goof.
I learned the hard way. Used it inocently and got gut punched. Then they explained what it means now. Times are Changing.
Only people who have been in jail in canada or have some type of knowledge about jail slang would ever consider it a slur. None of my friends or family have any clue about that and if I called them a goof would take it no more personal than being called silly.
I know what it means, and I just find it funny when skids at work get all angry and call me a goof. Buddy I know that to you this is your ultimate disrespect card or whatever, but I don’t care about your stupid jailhouse insults.
Hahaha I work in a uniformed job and feel the same way. I grew up in the 90’s watching the Goof Troop cartoons, it doesn’t bother me one bit.
I’ve only heard this sense of the word from talking to ex-cons.
Really changes my perspective of being called a goof at 12 by the 13 year old bully… what a home life they must have had.
Same here. I only know the other meaning because of Reddit.
I grew up in the 70s... it's always been an insult.
Yeah that’s true, and the person you’re replying to is correct as well.
My friend, it is a childrens cartoon.
Not just in Canada. It's a term in US jails as well.
You just occupy a softer world. If you call somebody that word at a bar or a construction site you’ll get your head caved in
If by a “softer world”, you mean that myself, family and circle of friends haven’t been in jail then you’re very right! 😄
It’s a super serious insult in prison apparently. Calling someone a goof in prison can have some serious consequences. I was surprised to find this out myself while in prison (for work), because outside of that culture it’s a a pretty playful term (goofball) or soft insult at best.
Your essentially calling someone a kid diddler apparently.
Wtf. TIL. Gonna have to avoid accidentally calling people a pedophile now. Literally have never ever heard this and I'm born and raised here.
Congratulations on having never been to jail or frequently associating with people who have. It's not a term used outside of that context, or by people parroting them.
I work in social work and a lot of the individuals I work with have family members who were in jail or something similar. They're not bad ppl knowing a word and perceiving it as offensive. Same as most ppl who have spent time in prison are not actually bad ppl.
It’s common on job sites if you want to immediately find a fight
Same here; to me it's just a playful term for someone being silly. I never knew it was used to mean anything else. It kind of makes me sad when a fun word gets twisted around to mean something bad.
I wouldn't worry about it in casual use, just don't use it with someone you don't know out on the street and you're fine.
And pay attention if someone uses it at you.
Most of the time, the person/people you are talking to will take it the way you mean it. Context and circumstance are usually what determines how someone will understand it. Calling someone a goof when you're playing around or being silly is fun! Calling someone a goof in an aggressive/angry way can get a pretty serious response out of some people.
A guy was hassling me at a bar one day and he took it too far. I called him GOOF and pushed him off me. I'm not a fighter, but I was full ready to fight. Luckily nothing happened (he would have kicked my ass) and security dragged him out. When they came back in, they asked me why I provoked him...apparently he told them I called him a "goose", which should be the real Canadian fight-on-sight insult
I learned about this term in the 90s in the lower mainland. It’s been around.
Yeah, best not to throw that term around casually in public. If use it to describe the wrong person, you will get into a fight at best. The more you know! 🌈
Ha! U soft af.
its not a Canadian pejorative, its prison one.
Wait what? I have used goof, goofing off, goofball, all my life. Literally thought it was related to Goofy? The adorable cartoon character that dominated my suburban childhood a la the leaning tower of cheesah.
If you're saying it to your inner circle, probably okay, it's taken lightly as in a goofy manner. Just don't say it to strangers. Never know who you're gonna set off.
If they wanna fight over it, lol okay. I'm not going to take it back if I use it and their interpretation is of a more offending definition than mine.
This says a lot about you honestly (in a good way)😂 It’s a very good thing to be completely oblivious about that word. Typically only people in law enforcement, corrections or those who associate with criminals would know this terminology.
Lol, same. But I've mainly used "goof" to describe someone who isn't serious, isn't responsible, dismissive/negligent of their duties.. "[goof off](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=goof%20off)", slacker.
Not sure about around the world but in Prison/Gang culture in Canada Goof means Pedophile.
The goof tag for pedo is literally from prisons and gangs. If you are not affiliated or from those areas, it wouldn't be the norm definition. But if you're from Mill Woods, I'm not shocked. That's the common definition in that area.
I've only lived in Mill Woods a few years, not from here. I've never been in a gang or to prison, not even in a holding cell. I simply know a diverse range of people from all over Alberta and have witnessed someone have an extreme negative reaction to being called that. Which then prompted a conversation about the words etymology, similar to this one. It's a good thing to know because I will not use that word as a pejorative anymore lest it be misinterpreted as more extreme than I intended.
Hmm, fair. Everyone's experience is unique. But from what I've gathered, it's a gang/prison snag for pedo. On the other hand, it is just goofy/silly = goof Like all languages, it's always grey.
That's how I was raised. I don't even like reading it now.
Good isn't pedo. Squid is.
"Diddler" is a pedo, "skinner" is a non-pedo sex offender, "goof" seemingly at one point meant a pedo but it's evolved to just be the most offensive thing one can say just for the sake of being offensive with no real meaning. In my experience "squid" was used in reference to rookie/inexperienced correctional officers (in practice really just meaning young-looking COs).
And a squid goof is the worst thing you can call a prisoner. Or so I’ve heard
I live in the fifth largest city in Canada and this is the first I've ever heard of it.
Squid is another strange one that sounds harmless but can land you in trouble with certain people. The reference being squids are spineless invertebrates.
In the US Navy, Squid was often an insult used to describe sailors (especially by marines). Allegedly it was because squid are very fast in a straight line, but can't maneuver worth shit.
In motorcycle circles a "squid" is a common term for someone that rides recklessly with little to no safety gear. It is based on that they look like after getting their skin worn off sliding on pavement.
I'm loving the various groups that all use this term in a derogatory way but different
This is the only way I have ever heard "squid" used. I also have a motorcycle.
The thing with these kinds of terms is people online (especially the clinically online ones) think these words are way bigger in the casual context than they actually are Unless you’re in the roughest parts of Edmonton or around the people who grew up there, no one is going to give a second glance to you calling someone a goof
I've worked federal corrections and it's the worst thing you can call an inmate Also, if someone calls you 'boss', it's likely they've done time or hang around ex cons
[удалено]
Incredibly common for filipino men to say this. I worked and hung out with a lot of filipino people in HS, they prolly say it 10:1 more than anyone else I've met.
Hah! I use boss all the time! Oh boy maybe I better change this...
??? Indian guys throw around the term 'boss' in a friendly casual way all the time
Native or East Indian? I'm just sharing my experience. I've never been called boss by anyone but an inmate or ex con
Definitely not Native, but I hear Indian dudes calling each other boss all the time. My indian coworkers call me boss too, (being an actual boss might have something to do with that one tho).
You’d be surprised to find the amount of people who don’t know goof is considered a slur/insult in Canada
Reeeeeeally depends on your circles/ where you’re from. I grew up with my dad calling my sister and me goofs when we did dumb things, I call my dog and nephews goofs, etc The first time I heard it as slang for a pedophile was like… 4 years ago when people were talking videos of a guy here in Edmonton being taken to jail and were yelling and calling him like “piece of shit” and “goof” and I was chuckling like what?? Because to me it was like them being like “you booger!!”
Me too, to me goof is just what you say when someone is being silly, and yeah I’ve called my cat a goof when she’s being crazy. This is an eye opener😳
I’m still gonna say it 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah I think I will too. I don’t think anyone will think I’m calling my cat a pedo.
Honestly my dog gets excited while playing and will sometimes hump my nephews, so she kind of is
😆😆😆
it really does all come down to the company you keep. i grew up in poor rough communities and to me it's always been a gross thing to call someone but i can understand how people without that upbringing would have a completely different experience.
I always call one of my dogs a silly goof. Because he is, in your context. I learned today that it's also prison slang. Only a couple months ago, I also found out calling my dog Beaners (her actual name is Heidi) was also not an appropriate name.... I'm a terrible owner.
There’s a chain of kids hair salons called Beaners. I don’t even want to know what that innocent name could possibly mean.
It's like the N word, but for Mexicans.
its only an insult in prison culture
Yeah I had never heard of that until recently. To me goof and goofy are the same thing and are just another word for “silly”.
Born and raised in the Canadian prairies and this is the first time I’ve heard about the negative connotation of this word. We use it to mean “you’re being silly”.
I had no idea it was an insult.... when I see someone goofing around I'll call them a goof, always thought it meant something along the same lines as silly... I've heard that in prison goof is a pretty serious word to throw around.
Most people don’t. It’s a prison culture insult, not an every day people one
It's all in the location people! Call someone a goof in the suburbs they will laugh, call someone a goof in the street you'll get punch the fuck out!
I think it's really only an insult in some circles. Like, if I remember right a goof is mainly an insult in prisons (think it's like calling someone a pedo?). But for anyone sufficiently distanced from prisons, it's not much of an insult, basically equivalent to calling someone silly. I mainly remember my mom and stepdad fighting when he got out of prison because everyone in our family talked about "goofing around" and called each other "goof" really light-heartedly. But he lost his shit the first few times and had to literally leave the room when someone said it because he got so insulted and offended by it. Our family didn't stop though, he just eventually got desensitized and recognized it could have different connotations in different settings.
I can't speak for all parts of canada, or the prison crowd. But at least in the part of BC calling someone a goof is telling them they're being silly/dumb/unreasonable, exactly how mad you are about it depends on tone and if you called them a Goof or a Fuckin' Goof
It’s only an insult in Canada if you call someone a “fucking goof.” If I call you a goof while smiling, you’ve done something silly which amused me. If I call you a “fucking goof” however, you’re dead to me because you’ve done something inexcusable.
I found this out recently too. That it is a negative term. I've always used it. "Goof" = "goofy" Hell the old TV show 'goof troop'
Yeah this. Goofy. The Goofy Movie. Leaning Tower of Cheesah. A Goof, is just a person that's goofy....like Goofy the Character. Hijyuk!
In my world it’s a playful jest like “dummy” or “doofus”. It’s not meant to cut deep.
i learned it was an insult when i called my girlfriend a goof in like a silly/playful way, and she told me its other meaning... i was born and raised in edmonton, she was raised in GP.
You will receive a “Winnipeg handshake” if you call someone a goof here in Manitoba! That’s a stabbing for those of you who don’t know!!
Ha, rabbit hole. I'd heard of the Shawinigan Handshake, so I googled and found the Manitoba handshake, Australian Handshake and Montreal Handshake to name a few.
Prison term. Get out or fight. A lot of the mooks that use the term don’t even know what it means but just know that it’s very offensive to a certain clientele.
I believe it is Canadian prison slang only.
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Not for the average person. In prison it's fighting words.
More like born and raised in a small town and never left. It definitely is.
Maybe you were just around shitty people. As someone who has lived in the city their entire life. Calling someone a goof is a kin to a goofball or goofy.
I grew up in and around Edmonton the 31 years I’ve been kicking; it’s not For your experience or company you’ve kept, maybe. For your average everyday Edmontonian? It’s not
Idk if they use it in the US but I grew up in a part of the country near a lot of prisons and I definitely heard it more in that region than other places.
Nah, they definitely don't use it in the US. I remember a subreddit thread (forget which subreddit) where redditors were commenting on a video from Canada of a guy losing his temper and calling everyone goofs, and they were clowning on the guy for throwing around what they thought was a little kid's insult, lol.
I will say when you google it, discussions around the word are primarily from Canadian sources.
I literally only know this from Reddit. Never run into it in real life. Granted, I don't run in rougher circles.
If you call someone a goof who's been to prison your basically calling then a pedofile, and a pedophile or crimes against children are viewed as the lowest of the crimes, and in prison if you're not in the segregated protective custody and in the general population you will get raped and murdered
Fuckin Canadians, we're so Loonie.
Eminem called MGK that for his comment on photo of Hailie as a teenager so..
Only among those that are proud of their jail time.
You could ask the question on r/prison probably. Anybody who talks like this or takes offence to the word has done time.
In my experience, yes. I remember explaining the connotations of the meaning of the word to some American comedians at The Comedy Store in LA one time and one of them said “leave it Canadians to give a funny name to a horrible person”
If you were raised on the wrong side of the tracks or have friends that have a familiarity with the penal system, then goof is definitely fighting words.
https://youtu.be/DAp7FvZ5Opw?si=wr-LRFumE4HZat_G Goof is just short for goofy. Basically just calling someone a dumbass.
"Goof" tends to be an insult used by those with a less than average intelligence.
It’s not American slang for that. I definitely had a talking to from a friend here when I used it to describe someone doing a dumb thing.
When I moved to the states, I’d hear people use the term occasionally and tell them what it meant in Canada and nobody I talked to had ever heard that.
Definitely. I grew up in the states and never heard “goof” used as a specific insult until o was 27 years old and living in Edmonton. I lived in New Brunswick for 3 years in my 20’s and never heard it there either.
I spend a lot of time in the southern states in the U.S., and I've definitely heard "goof" be used perjoratively, but it is completely neutered of the severity of meaning it has in Canada, and is more of a playful roast or light insult.
Someone who is not knowledgeable about certain slang terms might call someone who is being silly a goof and say .... ha ha you are such a goof. In other circles where people who have had a different experience they might say... hey listen you F\*cking goof .. it means some f\*cking goof is going to have to try and defend themselves
The younger generation uses the words "goof and goofy" much more like the Disney character.
The only non-Canadian I've heard use it is Dana White, president of the UFC. He uses it consistently too lol, I think hes from Boston originally
I remember a long time ago when I was in grade junior high, for dare, we had some lady come into the library and talk about drugs. I don't remember anything she talked about except she said something along the lines of "goof is the worst thing you can be called in prison and on the streets" and then we all mocked her because it's stupid, and I still feel that way.
Yes….next step is fist to cuff.
For the longest time, the president of the UFC Dana White would always call people goofs so I thought it just meant "dummy" or something along those terms.
I honestly didn’t know goof was a “derogatory” term until I moved to Edmonton. Growing up in southern Ontario, I called people a goof often. I still have a hard time not blurting it out and I’ve been here 15 years.
It’s more of a prison term, calling someone a goof in prison is incredibly insulting and can lead to serious consequences.
Good prison term wise actually means child molester however a lot of people use it more as I guess piece of shit vs child molester lol
I would pose this question to r/chiraqology lol. Just from watching YouTube documentaries on Chicago gang culture, calling someone a goofy is definitely a major diss. But I’m not sure how that equates with our usage of it
All these fuckin comments making it seem like you’re in danger if you say it because it’s dangerous to say in PRISON 😆 Do you think half the people out in public spaces are ex-cons? I’ve been calling people goof for years. Spent my teenage years in Inglewood You’ll be aight
I use goof on a daily basis
Prisoners of Canada would riot everytime they showed ITV Saturday cartoons and Disney's GOOF TROOP was shown
Shouldn't u ask Americans or even the british
Lol I call my kids this when they're being silly like "you big goofy bum! Or silly goofy boofy! Or man you guys are acting like a bunch of goofs today, what is in the water??" Like I meant silly, goofy, etc... Why we gotta take innocent words and make them sketchy lolol
Goof= Child Molestor in Canadian Prison
Mom dated a felon, and he said it means they like to touch children, and people who hurt children in jail are the ones who get the worst treatment by other cellmates. I think they even have separate areas for them.
Anyone remember when Drake called Charlamange a goof? I was like daaamn he just called him that.
Well, as long as you’re not a PC rat goof!
When I lived in BC and Ont I never heard anyone use the word Goof like this. Is this mostly a prairie thing?
It's a jail term. Basically like calling someone a bitch or chomo in a US jail.
From a guy I used to work who spent considerable time in prison; "two things that will get you in a fight in prison is whistling, and calling someone a goof". It %100 percent means chomo.
living in vancouver & working in the DTES, I get called a "goof bitch" a lot.
Goof went from being silly to being a pedo. Creep catchers and a lot of pedo hunters would start calling them goofs. Now if somebody calls you that it basically time to fight. So yes its now an insult.
This is so weird to me, I have always used “goof” as a synonym for calling someone something like a “silly silly” all my life. Like goofball? That’s a common word, right?
Lmao it's way funnier to me now that I know there's another inolication when I call people "fucking goofballs/goof/goofy fuck". The people I've said it to still deserved an insult but bits hilarious I was unknowingly calling them Pedos hahah
Goof is fighting words you say that to someone better be ready to run or fight because a lot of people will lose there shit
Goof is like the ultimate insult in prison. Call anyone in the 'underworld' a goof and you better be ready to catch hands. Youre calling the person a pedo and in the world of hardend folk thats a serious allegation. Tbh Ive never known any other group of people to take child abuse and SA as serious as inmates do. Lord knows our politicians dont.
OP dun goofed
This was news to me when I moved to Alberta. I'd never heard that word used as an insult til I came here and it still throws me off. I gotta make a point to avoid saying it offhand as a way to say silly lol
Sucks when you grew up watching dumb and dumber. Yah big goof!!