# Skank vs. Scag **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350 "2010-10-07T13:35:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/1 "2010-10-07T13:35:23Z")
It’s fast becoming obvious to me that words and phrases that were familiar to me in the 50’s and 60’s are fading into the oblivion of fogyism. C’est la vie, as Chuck Berry might say. However, I’m just curious if any old farts over, say, 45, can attest to the fact that _in the day_ a woman of questionable quality was referred to as a _scag_ instead of the more recent _skank_. Other competing terms of the same sort are welcome here. Just trying to decide if anybody else can back me up on this. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/2 "2010-10-07T13:52:35Z")
48 here. I have only heard the word Skank. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/3 "2010-10-07T14:10:31Z")
**Zeldar** , I am an old fart over 45, and I’m backing you up. My husband and I used to be highly amused whenever we drove past Skagg’s Beauty Salon. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/4 "2010-10-07T14:13:02Z")
Yes, that term was in use in my youth (1960s, southern New England). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/5 "2010-10-07T14:19:00Z")
Wheeeee! Thanks, old farts, for making my day! Now. What drove me to this thread was the thread on “tickling” and how we used to call “aggressive tickling” by the term “goosing.” I see in Urban Dictionary that “goosing” is way more nasty and evil than just mean tickling. And I now know better than to call something goosing unless it is. But can you SCAG people confirm the old use of “goosing”? BTW: I know that scag or skag also refers to heroin or other hard dope. (I wonder which usage came first!) ---
**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:** [October 7, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/6 "2010-10-07T14:29:58Z")
As I recall, a scag was a very unattractive girl, not necessarily one of ill repute. Of course, we picked up the term from adults, who probably meant it in a different way than we did. Goosing was something my parents did to each other. It seemed to involve groping the other’s buttcrack somewhere near the taint, eliciting a startled yelp from the other party. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/7 "2010-10-07T14:36:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > As I recall, a scag was a very unattractive girl, not necessarily one of ill repute. Of course, we picked up the term from adults, who probably meant it in a different way than we did. > > Goosing was something my parents did to each other. It seemed to involve groping the other’s buttcrack somewhere near the taint, eliciting a startled yelp from the other party. Yeah, that is the Urban Dictionary version that’s least disgusting! I’m about to conclude that the “goosing” in my memory is either very regional (Alabama) or maybe just what folks in my family called it. As for the scags in school, the attractiveness factor was all it took. They could be virgins (ought to be by our standards) and still be scags. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/8 "2010-10-07T14:47:25Z")
Fogey of 49 weighing in, Indiana vernacular. Back in the day (8th grade), scag was used with the same connotation of skank now. I recall hearing skank back then and thought it was something my sister made up. Present day usage, in North Carolina: skank is a woman undesirable for reasons of looks and/or hygeine; scag is a female hardcore drug addict. I’ve always known ‘goose’ to be a vigorous pinch to the buttcheek. ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/9 "2010-10-07T15:01:15Z")
40ish, and also familiar with the term skag. For us it was also more of a term to describe looks than reputation. I’ve always known a goose to be a pinch to the buttcrack area. It’s got to be unexpected and they have to jump if done properly. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/10 "2010-10-07T16:24:47Z")
47, raised in rural Ontario. Skank was common. Never heard of skag. Alternative was a “hose”. Not to be confused with a “hoser”, of course. I always thought the sine qua non of goosing was a protruded thumb. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/11 "2010-10-07T16:44:26Z")
I wonder what it is about the sk sound. Maybe it has to do with skunk… ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/12 "2010-10-07T16:50:41Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > However, I’m just curious if any old farts over, say, 45, can attest to the fact that _in the day_ a woman of questionable quality was referred to as a _scag_ instead of the more recent _skank_. 1. Hard both _skank_ and _skag_ in my youth. There seemed o be a subtle difference; a skag was worse than a skank. You could clean up a skank and make her presentable, where it would be much more difficult with a “ridden hard and put away wet” skag. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/13 "2010-10-07T16:53:16Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > I wonder what it is about the sk sound. Maybe it has to do with skunk.. Could be! Skeedaddle Ski Skull Sculpture (as close to pleasant as I can think of offhand) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/14 "2010-10-07T17:16:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > As I recall, a scag was a very unattractive girl, not necessarily one of ill repute. My recollection as well, southeastern US. I was familiar with the term “goose,” but I often heard it rendered as “gooch.” ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/15 "2010-10-07T17:21:31Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Yes, that term was in use in my youth (1960s, southern New England). Same here, but 1970’s, northern New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/16 "2010-10-07T17:22:03Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > As I recall, a scag was a very unattractive girl, not necessarily one of ill repute. > > My recollection as well, southeastern US. I was familiar with the term “goose,” but I often heard it rendered as “gooch.” I had a strong feeling I could count on you for a little bit of support. I can’t swear that it wasn’t “gooch” in my case either, since I never saw it in print! 😃 I seemed to equate scag with pig, which was more for looks than hygiene habits. We even had a code phrase to substitute for the word scag: “that girl eats corn.” ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/17 "2010-10-07T17:22:42Z")
Has anyone ever heard rack? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/18 "2010-10-07T17:30:17Z")
> [@BigBertha](#): > > Has anyone ever heard rack? Other than the term for the primary focus for a man’s eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/19 "2010-10-07T17:43:15Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > > [@Zeldar](#): > > > > However, I’m just curious if any old farts over, say, 45, can attest to the fact that _in the day_ a woman of questionable quality was referred to as a _scag_ instead of the more recent _skank_. > > 1. Hard both _skank_ and _skag_ in my youth. There seemed o be a subtle difference; a skag was worse than a skank. You could clean up a skank and make her presentable, where it would be much more difficult with a “ridden hard and put away wet” skag. Well put! 25, Idaho. Skag is definitely out of favor in these parts but still recognized as the same as but a few degrees worse than a skank. Skag also implies that the person is older, as you said, worn-out. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350/20 "2010-10-07T17:45:19Z")
> [@Shark](#): > > I’ve always known a goose to be a pinch to the buttcrack area. It’s got to be unexpected and they have to jump if done properly. This. My mother often described what I would call the “deer-in-the-headlights look” as somebody looking like “they’d been goosed and hadn’t jumped yet.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skank-vs-scag/556350.md?page=2)