# Canadian Dopers...is Skookum a family friendly word? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807 "2017-03-23T01:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/23 "2017-03-23T15:52:19Z")
Factoid: Skookum Jim Mason (Keish was his Tagish name) is credited with discovering the Klondike gold strike. He was born in Lake Bennett, Yukon Territory. He was dubbed “Skookum” Jim because of his extraordinary strength. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/24 "2017-03-23T16:33:29Z")
I’ve heard it in Ontario and the Maritimes–but strictly out of the mouths of BC folks. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/25 "2017-03-23T16:36:24Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > There is even a Skookumchuck in the east Kootenays. There’s a Skookumchuck trail in the White Mountains of NH so it traveled east. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/26 "2017-03-23T16:54:05Z")
> [@Quelqu\_un](#): > > Casually using a word from outside your culture just because you like how it sounds can be appropriative, though it partly depends on context. I do hope **Quelqu’un** is a francophone. I would hate to think **Quelqu’un** is an anglophone who has casually appropriated a term from outside his/her culture because it sounds good as a message board nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/27 "2017-03-23T17:13:45Z")
As **ftg** says, Skookum is more of a Pacific Northwest coastal native word than a Canadian one. There is a Skookumchuck River and Skookumchuck state fish hatchery in the state of Washington. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/28 "2017-03-23T17:34:42Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > He’s a lovely lad isn’t he? I was almost tempted by his new FR4 welder’s rule. But I’m not sure the hair width gauge would pass PC muster. Same here! I can just imagine the look on my wife’s face as she tries to borrow my ruler to measure something small and sees that special scale on the end. (Well, that and I’m not a welder. Now if he did a standard machinist’s ruler with stuff like drill sizes than I’d be more interested.) ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/29 "2017-03-23T17:35:05Z")
Eastern Washington has North and South Skookum Lakes. They are pretty small and near the Kalispel Tribe Reservation. I think the Skookum lakes would be in their historic tribal lands but I’m not sure of the history of how they were named. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/30 "2017-03-23T18:23:27Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I can just imagine the look on my wife’s face as she tries to borrow my ruler to measure something small and sees that special scale on the end. I need a briefing as to how one is supposed to use the Pecker Detector. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/31 "2017-03-23T18:26:29Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > (Well, that and I’m not a welder. Now if he did a standard machinist’s ruler with stuff like drill sizes than I’d be more interested.) He did - the welder’s ruler is a new one - the original is here: [https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/464202928/one-rule-to-ruler-them-all-cheeky-jokes](https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/464202928/one-rule-to-ruler-them-all-cheeky-jokes) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/32 "2017-03-24T12:06:32Z")
huh. **Quelqu’Un** has disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/33 "2017-03-24T12:14:41Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > huh. **Quelqu’Un** has disappeared. Oh, crap, somebody appropriated him! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/34 "2017-03-24T12:20:42Z")
With or without compensation? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/35 "2017-03-24T12:38:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > huh. **Quelqu’Un** has disappeared. That’s really odd. I didn’t think that was supposed to happen on the dope. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/36 "2017-03-24T12:46:38Z")
Never heard it here in Ohio, but I like it and will try to start using it! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/37 "2017-03-24T12:47:07Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > That’s really odd. I didn’t think that was supposed to happen on the dope. I’ve seen it happen a handful of times in the few months I’ve been here. Someone turns out to be a spammer “warming up” with a couple of legit posts or a returning banned user, and if they have few posts with little impact, their posts are removed. For example, there was someone called “Fossilene” who’s first post was actually relevant and useful, but [now exists only in a quotes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19938204&postcount=50) with the originals tossed down the memory hole. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/38 "2017-03-24T14:54:20Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I hear this word quite a bit on one Canadian fellow’s Youtube channel, but he curses liberally so I want to be sure it’s not an offensive term. > > In fact, I find myself often wanting to describe something as skookum. My wife brought home a pretty substantial artist’s easel made of heavy duty maple, and my first thought was to say “Wow, that’s a pretty skookum easel” > > So, in short, can I say Skookum around Canadians and not offend anyone? Yes, AVE’s channel is skookum as fuck. “Pretty skookum” is a saying I’ve heard in the NW. ---
**Author:** ![GinoC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f4b2a3/32.png) [@GinoC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GinoC)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/39 "2017-03-24T15:22:54Z")
It’s a reasonably common word here on the west coast, with great local flair. I find it to be a perfectly cromulent word. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/40 "2017-03-24T16:02:47Z")
…and still, despite the rapturing of one of our posters, I’m still left with no information about how best to employ the Pecker Detector. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/41 "2017-03-24T16:14:04Z")
If you learn some basic jargon [terms](http://www.translationdirectory.com/dictionaries/dictionary037.php) and then drive around the wetter parts of the PNW you’ll see Chinook jargon terms all over. E.g., Tumwater, WA: “Loud water”, from the waterfall. One example that went into some usage in English is “hyas muckamuck” which became “high mucketymuck”, the big boss. Unfortunately, for the word “Chinook” itself the term “Chinook wind” means a wet, warm, marine wind but somehow got perverted to mean a dry, warm, downslope wind. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807/42 "2017-03-24T16:30:53Z")
I thought it was the same wind. It just dropped all of its moisture on the Kootenays on its way to melt the snow in southern Alberta. I’ve always heard mucky muck. But that’s coming from my dad. Don’t think I’ve heard anyone else say that (or mucketymuck for that matter). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-dopers-is-skookum-a-family-friendly-word/782807.md?page=3)