# gleep? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581 "2002-12-18T16:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/1 "2002-12-18T16:42:56Z")
What the heck does “gleep” mean? I’ve seen referring to the name of 2 or 3 cartoon characters but I’ve also seen it used as a verb in a context that would lead me to believe it means something along the lines of f\*\*k. I’ve also seen it used in discussions about the internet or computers. I tried to google for an answer but could not come up with anything that made sense. Does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/2 "2002-12-18T16:51:12Z")
I used to think ‘gleep’ meant to steal something. Been a long time since I heard it used though so take that with a grain (or three) of salt. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/3 "2002-12-18T16:52:25Z")
[here’s a possibility](http://www.langmaker.com/db/eng_gloopgleep.htm) from my limited googling. I’m not sure if it’s the same, though. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/4 "2002-12-18T18:16:17Z")
Graphite Low-Energy Experimental Pile ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/5 "2002-12-18T19:52:27Z")
Gleep was also the sound that Skeeve’s dragon made in the Myth series by Robert Asprin. Seeing how that has been around for a while I have no doubt that other places have assimilated it. ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/6 "2002-12-18T22:56:50Z")
spit water through your teeth? ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/7 "2002-12-18T23:48:06Z")
> [@](#): > > spit water through your teeth? That’s gleek, or maybe gleak. But not gleep. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/8 "2002-12-19T00:08:11Z")
I always thought a gleak specifiacally referred to that spout of saliva that shot out from under your tounge (sometimes) when you yawn. I had a friend that could do it on command. ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/9 "2002-12-19T00:08:12Z")
In one episode of the cartoon Arthur, “gleep” is used to mean “steal.” I’d never heard it before, and assumed the writers of the show made it up. Here’s a synopsis of the episode (popups, sorry, it was the best one I could find). [http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/ecdc/11702.htm](http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/ecdc/11702.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/10 "2002-12-19T01:46:50Z")
I agree with Joey’s definition of gleek (to shoot water from under your tounge) I was the only kid in my peer group who **couldn’t** do it… I thought it was something that only we called it though, I didn’t know it was a common phrase…, I did grow up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, though, so it might be a regional thing… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/11 "2002-12-19T05:28:22Z")
As a verb meaning to steal, it can be found in print from 1953. But rare. As a noun, meaning an “odd, obnoxious, or worthless person”, from 1947. ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/12 "2002-12-19T05:56:46Z")
From another source, the Trixie Belden book series. (teenage female reader-of-adventure territory, from my past!) From recollection, she said “Gleeps!” a lot. Usually in the context meaning “yikes” - perhaps the authors were thinking of a cross between ‘gulp’ and ‘eek’ perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/13 "2002-12-19T06:14:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\*As a noun, meaning an “odd, obnoxious, or worthless person”, from 1947. \*\* But they were more often referred to as **bums** , back then. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/14 "2002-12-19T06:48:56Z")
‘Gleep’ was one of the Herculoids, and was accompanied by ‘Gloop’. They were basically these wierd blob things that sounded like cousin it; they had beady eyes and could stretch themselves. ---
**Author:** ![NotBob13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e19b73/32.png) [@NotBob13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotBob13)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/15 "2002-12-19T07:02:52Z")
We used gleek as a verb for spitting that jet of saliva when you yawn in TN also. I couldn’t do it. A freind tried to tell me how by instructing me to block the slavia gland with my tounge, yawn, then unblock that gland. I to this day have never gleeked, on purpose or otherwise. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/16 "2002-12-19T07:57:41Z")
Wasn’t that in the Jetsons in a song sung by a dude Judy had a crush on? ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/17 "2002-12-19T08:02:14Z")
We used it in the 50s as a word meaning a square,or as Fonzie called them nerds. Always assumed it was just a madeup word by us kids-like moke or Gleason’s moxe.I never heard the word nerd,tho,until the tv show. Guessing there are a lot of nosensical regional slang words passed around by teenagers,who seem the biggest group that have the need to use them.This could leave an inquiry of the meaning,or source of the word,open to debate among a diverse crossection of people.And they all may be right!!At least to their social circle. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/18 "2002-12-20T05:22:42Z")
> [@](#): > > We used it in the 50s as a word meaning a square,or as Fonzie called them nerds.We used it in the 50s as a word meaning a square,or as Fonzie called them nerds. > > Always assumed it was just a madeup word by us kids-like moke or Gleason’s moxe.I never heard the word nerd,tho,until the tv show. _Nerd_ probably comes from Dr. Seuss, in “If I ran the Zoo(1950).” It was one of the creatures. It didn’t really start showing up until late 1950’s. _Moke_ existed in the 1800’s and morphed into _mook_. I’m curious what meaning “Moxie” had? It goes back a long way. ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/19 "2002-12-20T07:16:27Z")
\*\* moxie \*\* meant energy,pep,probably after the soda,but if you were referring to the Gleason quote he used moxe,or maybe it was mopes,hard to tell from the tv show sound,to describe a life long loser.His poor soul character was the perfect picture. ---
**Author:** ![SandWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@SandWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581/20 "2002-12-20T07:29:12Z")
In Hebrew it means “Gleep” If that helps at all… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gleep/143581.md?page=2)