In Japanese, “Dori” means “street”
Is your surname perchance Eiwob?
Anyway, whether it is or not, here’s the link to the relevant Staff Report: What’s the origin of “hunky dory”?
I always thought it referred to a Ukrainian rowboat.
Welcome to the Straight Dope, evad, we’re glad to have you with us. I’m the one who wrote that staff report, so thanks for your comment. It doesn’t affect the outcome of the column – the phrase was in American common use long before there were many Americans in Japan – but it’s an interesting side aspect.
Does that mean that “Honmoku Dori” cited by Daniel Woods in the question is a street rather than a specific nightclub?
No, that would be a Ukie dory. A Hunky dory would be from a bit further west and south.
Don’t get much call for antique terms, usually disparaging, (referring to) a person of central or east European birth or descent around these parts.
drop, who has enough Bohunk ancestry that he can use one of them
Greetings, fellow bohunk. I’m Scottish Ukrainian myself, and have yet to be offended by any sort of derogatory term directed against Ukrainians. Or Scots for that matter. Some find “hunky” offensive towards Ukrainians, some don’t:
http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/hreb/Signs/The%20Konyk%20Case.htm
****In 1982, a B.C. Board of Inquiry heard the complaint of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional Association against William Konyk, a Canadian entrepreneur of Ukrainian descent who has used the term “Hunky Bill’s” as a trade name for his business since 1969.
**
My apologies to anyone who may have taken offense, although I’ve found that it’s usually people who are old enough to remember serious discrimination against persons of Ukrainian descent that really get worked up to any extent.
**
Duplicate please remove.
Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but I must share this story.
Back in 1979, while in college, we told ethnic jokes referring to everybody’s ethnic background. It was considered normal to do so. Unfortunately at the University of Maine in Orono Maine I was the lone Ukrainian. So, to even the score I challenged anyone to come up with a Ukrainian joke.
One week later my old Volvo had a “No Nukes” bumper sticker applied to my rear bumper with the “N” in Nukes carefully cut out. It now said “No ukes”
I laugh my ass off till this day when I think about it.
It was a person of Polish decent that thought to do it. I left the stciker on as long as I owned the car.
Never heard of the Hunky thing.