Posted by Peter H on September 02, 2001 at 22:00:58 from 213.1.169.39:
In Reply to: Re: Dicksīs mechanism for the pigeon alarm posted by Johan Bagge on September 02, 2001 at 16:53:24:
According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary 'galoot' means 'clumsy lout'. It may be that Johan's theory is correct, and that the term is more used in America now, but if that is true, then it may be one of the many usages which have been preserved over there from older-style English. 'Gotten' for 'got' is another example of this. But perhaps American readers can confirm? To me, 'tame galoot' does have an American feel about it.