Galoot

Galoot

"Galoot" is an old word used, primarily in Scotland, that means a person with an ungainly, cumbersome, and clumsy personality.

Within Internet-based woodworking communities, a galoot is a hand tool aficionado, specifically old hand tools. This is contrasted with users of any hand tools who are called neanderthals in a number of internet woodworking communities. For many, the two terms are interchangeable. In this context, a galoot or neanderthal is one who hunts used hand tools and/or insists on using hand tools in preference to power tools, especially hand planes. Galoots may also champion tools that others would consider a lost cause, lovingly restoring a rusted or damaged tool by sanding, scraping, lapping, or using electrolysis to remove rust and repairing or replacing parts required to restore the tool to a usable state.

The galoot community includes, but is not restricted to, collectors of old tools. The only qualification for being a galoot is a love of hand tools (especially older hand tools) and a willingness to admit that this love may seem odd or unexplainable to others. By extension, galoots are often interested in old methods of achieving wood or metal work. For example, it is not uncommon for a galoot to create a replacement tool handle with a spokeshave, to resaw a plank with a frame saw, or even to forge and temper his or her own chisels.

Many galoots hold Roy Underhill, of the PBS series "The Woodwright's Shop", in extremely high regard and may refer to him with the shorthand "St. Roy".

Other uses

'Galoot' is a word used by the cartoon character Yosemite Sam - he frequently refers to Bugs Bunny as a 'idjut lop-eared galoot'.

Galoot is a left-recursive acronym which means "Galoots are lovers of old tools".

See also

* Tool
* Antique tool
* Roy Underhill

External links

* [http://www.pbs.org/wws/ Roy Underhill web site]
* [http://www.galootcentral.com/portal Galoot Central]
* [http://www.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/faq.html#Galoot Origin of the galoot term from the Old tools mailing list FAQ]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Galoot — Ga*loot , n. A noisy, swaggering, or worthless fellow; a rowdy. [Slang, U. S.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • galoot — awkward or boorish man, 1812, nautical, raw recruit, green hand, apparently originally a sailor s contemptuous word for soldiers or marines, of uncertain origin. Dictionary of American Slang proposes galut, Sierra Leone creole form of Sp. galeoto …   Etymology dictionary

  • galoot — [gə lo͞ot′] n. [orig., naval slang < ?] Slang a person, esp. an awkward, ungainly person …   English World dictionary

  • galoot — I Australian Slang a foolish person II Scottish Vernacular Dictionary An idiot. Yah big galoot ye, yuv let the aligator oot …   English dialects glossary

  • galoot — ga|loot [gəˈlu:t] n AmE old fashioned someone who is not at all graceful and does not dress neatly ▪ You clumsy galoot! …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • galoot — n A strong, soft hearted man. The big galoot brought me flowers after chasing away that wolf Hans from next door. 1860s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

  • galoot — noun (C) AmE informal someone who is not at all graceful and does not dress neatly: You clumsy galoot! …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • galoot — /gəˈlut / (say guh looht) noun Colloquial an awkward, silly person: silly galoot. Also, galloot. {19th century British nautical slang; origin unknown} …  

  • galoot — noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1818 slang fellow; especially one who is strange or foolish …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • galoot — /geuh looht /, n. Slang. an awkward, eccentric, or foolish person. Also, galloot. [1805 15; orig. uncert.] * * * …   Universalium

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