In my area, the night before Halloween, where hooligans throw eggs and toilet paper, among other things, is known as Goosey Night. However, on a couple Halloween-themed episodes of children’s cartoons on TV (I’m watching one now), it is refered to as Mischief Night. Are the two interchangable? Is it just an area thing? Is the word “Goosey” a bad word that cannot be said on a TV-Y rated show?
A web search turns up a few hits for “goosey night”, all of them from New Jersey and New York City. I grew up in upstate New York and never heard the term. The only special name I’ve heard the 30th referred to is “Devil’s Night,” especially with reference to Detroit.
As my mother tells it, the trick-or-treating and mischief are reversed from what they were in her day. She always said going door-to-door begging for candy should be on the 30th. That way you know whose house to destroy on the 31st (those that gave out nothing, or worse, Clark Bars, on the 30th).
Where I grew up (northern Ontario), we referred to ‘Gate Night’.
Bill
Northern NJ checks in…Goosey night and Mischief night are interchangeable here.