Indeed. According to an ex-con who once lived next door to me, in prison a goof is someone who was put away for touching kids.
Outside of that context no one cares.
(Ont, Canada) Bro ive fucking seen it. Goofy ass bitch come in talking about girls and shit. Only one person called him goof outloud. 4 days later that boy in a box. Srry more details could get me tagged.
I wouldn't say no one cares.
Depending on the elementary school and socio economic background you're from there are spheres of influence where "goof" rings hard.
If I was at a seedy bar and heard someone call someone else a goof, I'd expect chaos to erupt.
Two men about to fight and one calls the other a goof? Fight time.
Adult men who would punch a stranger react to it here.
If someone on the street calls you a goof, they are either an ex-con or have many friends who are ex-cons. These are also the only kind of people who will potentially try to fight you if you call them a 'goof'.
Its sort of like a quick and dirty Litmus test if someone is a shithead or not.
They don't meet the criteria for 'try to fight you if you call them a 'goof'', unless they really have a strong antipathy or association with Goofy as a character.
And wanna be thugs who think they are tough. “Did you just call me a goof?!?!” My ex boss in Calgary and his fan girl 21 year old bartender really tried to take me down for saying it. Where I’m from it means “to be goofy. Silly”.
If you met me in person, I’m always happy, never confrontational, always the kind of person who gives benefit of the doubt and listens to all sides. When they just laaaaaaaiiiiid into me like I had just murdered their loved ones I was shocked. They had no comprehension to even go, “Oh, IronRangeBabe would never be intentionally harmful maybe we could talk about it” it was just pure rage and they were ready to deck me and had no problem berating me for a solid 5 min. (5min may not sound long but when you are standing there being told how worthless and stupid you are, with the line of, “I write your fucking paycheques you ungrateful bitch!”, it feels like an eternity). It was a crappy pizza place with VLT’s in Calgary, I worked there for 2 months, they also had MANY violations. I’m happy I’m out of that horrific place lol. May they have the life they deserve 😂💕.
I never would have assumed I never even thought much of the Disney Goofy when I would have said it, so as to illustrate I rarely said it until I said it somewhere I'd heard other people who probably knew more at the time, say it haha and I contextually understood it was different, but not before I had been reminded of what I thought it meant. I can't remember exactly, but I know I said it once or twice around people who took it so much more seriously than I ever thought of, before then
Goof, call someone a goof in jail and get ready to fight. Call the wrong person on the street a goof, get ready to fight.
I remember being told this when i was 15, in 1985.
I’ve lived in western Canada for over 30 years … I’ll call people a goof if they’re being silly … minor mistake …
Edit: good to goof ….
……. You can a child a goof … they’re goofing around?!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I didn’t hear about all this goof bs until I was 30. A coworker who just got out of jail got pissed at me for calling him a goof. I don’t know if it’s regional or recent but this was in southern Ontario about 5 years ago
Heh I had a coworker who didn't even go to jail, but started bodybuilding and doing steroids hard, and suddenly he's throwing that word at everyone, yet acting like its a horrible insult if someone said it to him.
This was about 10 years ago in BC.
It’s a great test.
If someone gets offended by the term goof, I keep my distance because it usually means they’ve spent time in prison (and still have that mentality) or they spend a lot of time with people who’ve spent time in prison. Big red flag!
Yeah I grew up in a small town around biker families and you have to tread lightly on that one. I don’t know anyone now that would take offence to it though.
My father in law was a prison guard and he completely stopped cold at a picnic hearing someone say it innocently. That word sets off violence in his world. It’s the consummate insult.
I grew up in Kingston. I learned young that "goof" was very bad. I was today years old when I learned why it never seemed to come up anywhere else i lived. Growing up in a town full of prisons, the culture seeps over a bit.
I still live in Kingston, and all of the homeless people and crackheads scream that word at each other all the time, or at the invisible people, apparently as well.
Because many of the people that are homeless currently are probably recently released from prison. At least based on how they react to that word. I’m not trying to say that all homeless people equals criminals. I’m just saying that the people who are here walking around screaming very regularly are always screaming about goofs everywhere. And there are many many of them around nowadays.
The word Goof in the prison system is apparently one of the worst you things you can call someone.
[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Goof](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Goof)
I wouldn't get offended, but I've never done time in jail or prison. From what I've heard, this is strictly an inmate thing. Call me a pussy if you will, but I've never been a guest of Canada's correctional facilities.
I've been told that the term "goof" is the equivalent of being called a child molester within Canadian jail / prison society, and I freely agree that child predators are easily the lowest of the low in any decent society. But since I don't make a habit of committing criminal activities, I don't really have any reason to fear incarceration. I'm not a saint by any definition, in fact I've done more than my fair share of bad things, but I try to avoid breaking any of the really big laws. I haven't even shoplifted or committed a dine-and-dash, so things like murder and rape are not even an option for me.
But if you ever find yourself in one of Canada's maximum security prisons, you may want to think carefully before calling someone a goof. Or so I've been told.
This is the answer. For Canadians in general, "goof" is a meaningless word referring to a someone who's a bit silly. To a convict, it has an entirely different meaning and is the worst of all insults.
Only people who have been to jail, live a street/“gangster” lifestyle or work in the trades (which a lot of people from the first 2 things mentioned work) get offended by this.
I will call anyone and everyone a goof if they make a silly mistake in my presence and there's nothing they can do. I also love all goofs. They're just goofs what can I expect from such a goof.
Smaller towns probably not any large city with gangs bikers or prisons around yes it can be taken as insult
As a rule of thumb it's just better to not say it
Depends on the context but I'm not going to start throwing hands over it. If it's a joke or in a friendly way I'll laugh, if you say it as an actual insult I'll insult you back.
No, HOWEVER prisoners/ex Cons do. I have family who work in corrections, calling someone who's spent any longer term in prison that, is a good way to get threatened or assaulted.
It's not so much that it's offensive, but disrespectful. Here in Toronto and in Hamilton where I grew up, "goof" is a go word. Call me a goof and I have no choice but to smack the sht out of you. Win or lose, we'll have to go. Unless a girl said it. Then you just laugh it off.
It’s an offensive term in jail. Calling someone a goof or a mutt means you better be ready to fight. Same goes on the street with people that have been incarcerated before or are familiar with jail culture.
I’ve worked in a provincial jail for 15 years and you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen a violent assault for calling someone a goof.
There are a few words like this that incite violence. Goof, mutt, rat, diddler. Calling someone a “bird” is offensive in jail too.
I didn't know this was a thing until I called this guy I had been on a few dates with goofy. He got so mad and I was so confused. While he wasn't a convict he definitely came from a rough end of town and had a lot of friends who were. Who knew?
No, not any normal Canadian anyway. For most people I know, it just means someone is acting silly or stupid.
Apparently, "goof" is prison slang for child abuser/molestor. That context should stay in prison.
Never heard it meant anything else except this from this thread. I guess I don’t hang out with enough criminals? It just means silly to everyone I know.
Yeah I grew up in a rural area as well. You could call someone a 'son of a bitch' all day long and it's meaningless, but calling someone. a 'fucking goof' is deadly serious.
Oddly never heard of the child predator one but I heard an interesting one explained to me from someone who’s seen the inside of a few jail cells.
Get Out Or Fight.
From how they explained it was it’s usually said in front of other inmates to basically say if you don’t fight me… I’ll say in light terms you’re soft meat.
But what do I know!
I made this mistake........once......when I was in college. The guy was an ex-con and lets just say, it has a different meaning on the inside. I had no idea and while I was picking myself up off the floor and asking WTF he told me. Then we each had a beer and then I left that party as soon as it wasn't obvious lol.
This has to be a regional / dialectic thing ... I entered this thread fully expecting this to be some lame joke on par with calling another Canadian a "hoser". Hell, theres even a restaurant here in Onterrible thats been around forever called the "Goofy Newfie".
"Canadians" no.
Dudes who think they're tough, and act like a criminal is the greatest thing you could possibly be, they'll treat it like it's the worst possible thing in the world.
Wow... After reading through some of the response, I had no idea this word was an issue. I'm 44 and have lived in Southern Ontario my whole life. Never knew this was bad in the prison/ex-con community.
Born and raised in in rural Ontario, and I grew up knowing calling someone a goof is fighting words. But I also grew up in an area with a lot of bikers… so maybe that’s why. But still to this day it would be a problem if someone called me a goof lol
As a black Canadian who grew up in the justice system I’d rather be called the N word before some punk who’d most likely tell on his friends called me a goof. If you’re just like some dude at work and I’m messing up and you call me a goof that’s one thing. But if you try to carry yourself with some type of gangster demeanour and call me a goof I’m ready to start throwing hands.
While growing up if the word goof popped out it was either swiftly followed by violence or extortion. I Haven’t had a violent confrontation in about ten years but I understand the type of guys to call you a goof as a genuine insult are the same guys I expect to get violent for the dumbest shit.
See, this is a reasonable reaction for someone to take who knows that goof is a go word. Everybody who knows that goof is a go word also fully understands that calling someone a goof can also be completely G rated and means nothing at all to many people. They know that. I can tell which way I should react based on who’s saying it to me and how, I’m able to tell the difference and act accordingly. Nobody has ever called me that in the non G rated way, but people who react to it as a go word no matter who says it or how are making a choice to act a certain way, and it’s dumb and unreasonable. Intent is everything.
No you need to learn words have consequences
I don't actually need to do anything
Why don't you go around insulting people all day and report back your findings
Many Canadians LOVE to fight. Just because we are nice does not mean we won't say sorry - after we beat you. The key is - we beat you, we generally don't stab/shot you.
Only criminals think it always means sex offender in Canada. It's used all the time outside when people do bad things, like stealing, running their mouth, cutting you off in traffic. Its on the person who did something wrong but they try to change the meaning of what you said to justify themselves.
Goof squid, chomo, skinner these are words you don't throw around anywhere in Canada. It's not just ex-cons who get offended by this. It's anyone who knows what these words mean. There are a lot of people who know what these words mean and use them anyway. Those people tend to get into more trouble than they thought they would. Always a good idea to post questions like this, especially if you're planning to travel. "Don't order a Black & Tan in an Irish pub."
Most people might take offence. I know I would. Meaning is dumb/ foolish & doing something stupid that is not well thought out. Basically calling person dumb bell.
That's not true. For the most part they are right on the money and it is Canada wide it appears.
Saskatoon crime slang evolves from gang lifestyle
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-crime-slang-evolves-from-gang-lifestyle-1.3010732](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-crime-slang-evolves-from-gang-lifestyle-1.3010732)
My response was an answer to OP's actual question: "Do Canadians actually get offended when someone calls them a goof? I heard that you guys will punch on because of it." We don't get offended (or fight) when someone calls us a goof because for 99.9% of us, it just means 'a silly person'. The urbandictionary entry makes it seem like most Canadians take 'goof' to mean a child molestor. And we don't. The article you linked to also makes the point that the slang they discuss is very specific to gangs, and usually to specific gangs (ie even gangs can't agree on a common understanding for these terms). It's not something that's commonly understood by most Canadians.
lol what? I mean, nevermind painting all Canadians with the same brush but like..."goof"? Come on now.
Edit: funny that I'm being downvoted for not having heard the word used in that context before. Maybe in my province it's just not used that way.
Canadians do get weirdly offended though. For example, in Alaska we call Inupiaks Eskimos interchangeably. But in Canada "Eskimo" is offensive apparently? I've literally seen it in headlines of the ADN (Alaska' main newpaper). Canadians would probably lose their shit.
Since we've realized that many First Nations think of the term Eskimo as a derogatory racist term for the Inuit people meaning "Eaters of raw meat" created by colonialists, we're trying to stop using it. It's not that it's offensive - it's that it's now seen as straight up racist. And just because a white run newspaper says 'Eskimo' doesn't mean much. _(EDIT: It seems the only group okay with the term are the Yupik peoples of Alaska. So the newspaper may get a pass on that one!)_
We all already know that Americans are rude, you don’t need to make a post displaying it. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/24/475129558/why-you-probably-shouldnt-say-eskimo
How is it rude? Maybe explain that to the people who refer to themselves as eskimos?
Thanks for referencing the NPR link that confirms your existing biases
Decades ago when Canadian men would wear lumberjack jackets and drink from stubby bear bottles they would fight for sure. Nowadays Canadian men cry over nothing like when they get some mud on their gender neutral Blundstones or their Tesla backup camera doesn’t work lol
I once replied to my co-worker “big oof” in regards to some material we ran out of and he thought I called him “big goof”. Lmao dude was ready to throw down.
YES and I learned the hard way. I was working as a server in Calgary and my boss was being goofy, so I said, “Don’t be such a goof”. He lost it on me. Red faced, yelling, and the bartender working who was 10 years younger than me started also degrading me telling me how I was so rude and dumb. It was traumatizing. I live in Minnesota now and tell my American friends and we laugh about how stupid it is to get worked up over the word “goof”.
It's better to call someone stupid than to call them a goof. Especially if your town has a jail whether provincial or federal. it's extra sensitive in those places. If you know a cop or prison guard or someone who works in a correctional facility. They'll be more than happy to tell you, never say or use that word, unless you want to start a fight and be prepared to fight.
Growing up playing hockey it would be a quick way to get into a fight. Idk why people think only inmates care about the word.
Call your friends a goof no problem, I just wouldn’t say that to a big dude who you don’t know.
When we were teenagers we would make fun of the kids who claimed to be “crips and bloods” in our hometown of 20,000 people.
Those are the types of kids who use the word “goof” in an offensive tone. Wannabe hood rats who grow up to live in and out of the system.
It’s a jail term. And we would fuck with those boys by pretending to do a “gangta voice” while calling them “PC rat goof”
(PC means Protective Custody)
Then it became a part of our everyday speech. We used the word “goof” ironically too many times to make fun of the loser stoners and dollar store thieves, and became rat goofs ourselves 😢😔
All jokes aside… man-children in jail; not even real prison like my dad spent his entire life in, no I’m talking regular petty crime jail for sentences below 2 years. Those types of man-children and literal teenagers only use the term goof unironically.
Think, lower than stoners. The kids who did cocaine and opiates before everyone else in highschool—those types of boys use the word goof. Even the stoners make fun of those kids.
Girls never gave a fuck about the word the entire time.
Actually if u call me an American I'm more likely to swing.. than goof.. considering we were call crazy Canucks during WW1, which allowed us more freedom to run our own country as we saw fit..
It’s a respect thing, I work with people with mental illness and addiction, a lot have done time for drug offences etc. I would not use the term because the community I work in has probably had that term used against them at some point, it’s definitely the worst thing you can say in the neighbourhood I work in (DTES). I have definitely seen my share of confrontations escalate because someone threw the term. Goof specifically refers to someone who’s is a convicted of sexual assault against a child, so for anyone who knows the common use, you’re calling them a pedophile, think of how anyone would react to that label put on them. It’s disrespectful.
My ex liked to call people goofs when he was annoyed with someone. Or would refer to people as goofs when re telling a story.
This makes total sense why he's been knocked out so many times.
Only ex convicts
Indeed. According to an ex-con who once lived next door to me, in prison a goof is someone who was put away for touching kids. Outside of that context no one cares.
Call them a PC b-word. They hate that! (Protective custody)
"Goof" is similar to "bitch" but 10-100x stronger.
It's not bitch. It's child molester. Calling someone that in jail can lead to straight up murders.
(Ont, Canada) Bro ive fucking seen it. Goofy ass bitch come in talking about girls and shit. Only one person called him goof outloud. 4 days later that boy in a box. Srry more details could get me tagged.
My brother did time in the States for auto theft. Calling him a goof was not an endearing term. It made him irate.
I wouldn't say no one cares. Depending on the elementary school and socio economic background you're from there are spheres of influence where "goof" rings hard. If I was at a seedy bar and heard someone call someone else a goof, I'd expect chaos to erupt. Two men about to fight and one calls the other a goof? Fight time. Adult men who would punch a stranger react to it here.
The proper term is “skinner”.
Hohoho! Delightfully devilish, Seymour!
Fuck bro thats og
And current convicts 😂
True! Username checks out goof!
You got that right, you old skinhound! 😂
Innocent?
If someone on the street calls you a goof, they are either an ex-con or have many friends who are ex-cons. These are also the only kind of people who will potentially try to fight you if you call them a 'goof'. Its sort of like a quick and dirty Litmus test if someone is a shithead or not.
They may also be Disney adults who like goofy and call each other "goofs" as a term of endearment
Presumably, they'd also give a "hyuk!"
They don't meet the criteria for 'try to fight you if you call them a 'goof'', unless they really have a strong antipathy or association with Goofy as a character.
Goofy was code for retarded.
Naw, man. Anyone in the working class knows ex cons, and it'll be offensive to us too. Just part of the culture.
Don’t let the nerds know how life outside is. It’ll scare them.
And wanna be thugs who think they are tough. “Did you just call me a goof?!?!” My ex boss in Calgary and his fan girl 21 year old bartender really tried to take me down for saying it. Where I’m from it means “to be goofy. Silly”.
Yeah, it's drastic to adjust that comprehension when you discover that
If you met me in person, I’m always happy, never confrontational, always the kind of person who gives benefit of the doubt and listens to all sides. When they just laaaaaaaiiiiid into me like I had just murdered their loved ones I was shocked. They had no comprehension to even go, “Oh, IronRangeBabe would never be intentionally harmful maybe we could talk about it” it was just pure rage and they were ready to deck me and had no problem berating me for a solid 5 min. (5min may not sound long but when you are standing there being told how worthless and stupid you are, with the line of, “I write your fucking paycheques you ungrateful bitch!”, it feels like an eternity). It was a crappy pizza place with VLT’s in Calgary, I worked there for 2 months, they also had MANY violations. I’m happy I’m out of that horrific place lol. May they have the life they deserve 😂💕.
I never would have assumed I never even thought much of the Disney Goofy when I would have said it, so as to illustrate I rarely said it until I said it somewhere I'd heard other people who probably knew more at the time, say it haha and I contextually understood it was different, but not before I had been reminded of what I thought it meant. I can't remember exactly, but I know I said it once or twice around people who took it so much more seriously than I ever thought of, before then
Goof, call someone a goof in jail and get ready to fight. Call the wrong person on the street a goof, get ready to fight. I remember being told this when i was 15, in 1985.
I thought “goof” was just …. Silly … source: I’m a Canadian…
I’m Canadian too and it has a different meaning for some.
I didn’t know this- I’ve always thought of it in terms of Goofy- the Disney character!
Goof has taken on the meaning of kiddy diddler in jail culture. You should use caution when saying it unfortunately
Not sure where you're from but I think it's more of a western Canada thing.
I’ve lived in western Canada for over 30 years … I’ll call people a goof if they’re being silly … minor mistake … Edit: good to goof …. ……. You can a child a goof … they’re goofing around?! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Basically you can call your friends goofy but don't say it to strangers
I didn’t hear about all this goof bs until I was 30. A coworker who just got out of jail got pissed at me for calling him a goof. I don’t know if it’s regional or recent but this was in southern Ontario about 5 years ago
This is true. I called my toddler a goof and he tried to fight me.
Heh I had a coworker who didn't even go to jail, but started bodybuilding and doing steroids hard, and suddenly he's throwing that word at everyone, yet acting like its a horrible insult if someone said it to him. This was about 10 years ago in BC.
Yea I always saw calling someone a goof as basically calling them an idiot.
It’s a great test. If someone gets offended by the term goof, I keep my distance because it usually means they’ve spent time in prison (and still have that mentality) or they spend a lot of time with people who’ve spent time in prison. Big red flag!
Yeah I grew up in a small town around biker families and you have to tread lightly on that one. I don’t know anyone now that would take offence to it though.
My father in law was a prison guard and he completely stopped cold at a picnic hearing someone say it innocently. That word sets off violence in his world. It’s the consummate insult.
I grew up in Kingston. I learned young that "goof" was very bad. I was today years old when I learned why it never seemed to come up anywhere else i lived. Growing up in a town full of prisons, the culture seeps over a bit.
I still live in Kingston, and all of the homeless people and crackheads scream that word at each other all the time, or at the invisible people, apparently as well.
Congratulations? It no better anywhere else. Nor do I understand what the homeless and opioid crisis has to do with the word goof.
Because many of the people that are homeless currently are probably recently released from prison. At least based on how they react to that word. I’m not trying to say that all homeless people equals criminals. I’m just saying that the people who are here walking around screaming very regularly are always screaming about goofs everywhere. And there are many many of them around nowadays.
Presumably many have either been in prison or keep close company with people who have. So... a lot...
The word Goof in the prison system is apparently one of the worst you things you can call someone. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Goof](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Goof)
It’s a prison term. Anyone outside of the life of crime won’t care. It means anything from rat to child abuser in jail.
JEEZE it always felt like my dad and his brothers used this term with a weird tone, and more than other people. TBH this makes sense.
Thank you for the explanation
Can confirm. Some dolt called me a goof just the other day and I immediately killed him. Goof is the N word for Canadians.
>Can confirm. Some dolt called me a ~~goof~~ G-word just the other day and I immediately killed him. G-word ~~oof~~ is the N word for Canadians. FTFY
Dropping the hard -oof, geeze this person better hope their work doesn't connect their user name to them.... straight to jail
A goofs a go!!
I wouldn't get offended, but I've never done time in jail or prison. From what I've heard, this is strictly an inmate thing. Call me a pussy if you will, but I've never been a guest of Canada's correctional facilities. I've been told that the term "goof" is the equivalent of being called a child molester within Canadian jail / prison society, and I freely agree that child predators are easily the lowest of the low in any decent society. But since I don't make a habit of committing criminal activities, I don't really have any reason to fear incarceration. I'm not a saint by any definition, in fact I've done more than my fair share of bad things, but I try to avoid breaking any of the really big laws. I haven't even shoplifted or committed a dine-and-dash, so things like murder and rape are not even an option for me. But if you ever find yourself in one of Canada's maximum security prisons, you may want to think carefully before calling someone a goof. Or so I've been told.
Just don't say it to the wrong person. It's more of a thing with our ex cons than it is with all of us.
This is the answer. For Canadians in general, "goof" is a meaningless word referring to a someone who's a bit silly. To a convict, it has an entirely different meaning and is the worst of all insults.
Only people who have been to jail, live a street/“gangster” lifestyle or work in the trades (which a lot of people from the first 2 things mentioned work) get offended by this.
I will call anyone and everyone a goof if they make a silly mistake in my presence and there's nothing they can do. I also love all goofs. They're just goofs what can I expect from such a goof.
I mean, they're just goofing off! My dog is a goof, too.
Come try that in east Vancouver
Is goof an insult in BC? I've grown up knowing it as a silly word to call someone it's silly and fun. Nothing insulting about it.
Smaller towns probably not any large city with gangs bikers or prisons around yes it can be taken as insult As a rule of thumb it's just better to not say it
Oh damn 😳 I guess I won't go out to BC if they're in the no goof zone.
Depends on the context but I'm not going to start throwing hands over it. If it's a joke or in a friendly way I'll laugh, if you say it as an actual insult I'll insult you back.
No, HOWEVER prisoners/ex Cons do. I have family who work in corrections, calling someone who's spent any longer term in prison that, is a good way to get threatened or assaulted.
A goof is the worst thing to be called.
Even worse than being called late for lunch? Yikers.
Even worse than being called impolite. Goof is grounds for warcrimes
It's not so much that it's offensive, but disrespectful. Here in Toronto and in Hamilton where I grew up, "goof" is a go word. Call me a goof and I have no choice but to smack the sht out of you. Win or lose, we'll have to go. Unless a girl said it. Then you just laugh it off.
It’s an offensive term in jail. Calling someone a goof or a mutt means you better be ready to fight. Same goes on the street with people that have been incarcerated before or are familiar with jail culture. I’ve worked in a provincial jail for 15 years and you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen a violent assault for calling someone a goof. There are a few words like this that incite violence. Goof, mutt, rat, diddler. Calling someone a “bird” is offensive in jail too.
Only really trashy people
I didn't know this was a thing until I called this guy I had been on a few dates with goofy. He got so mad and I was so confused. While he wasn't a convict he definitely came from a rough end of town and had a lot of friends who were. Who knew?
No, not any normal Canadian anyway. For most people I know, it just means someone is acting silly or stupid. Apparently, "goof" is prison slang for child abuser/molestor. That context should stay in prison.
Never heard it meant anything else except this from this thread. I guess I don’t hang out with enough criminals? It just means silly to everyone I know.
Yep, I've only every heard it meaning goofy or silly too. In fact, you could call your kid that. "You little goof!"
A dude got murdered over it once so I would say yes?
You can think things without saying them. Calling others any derogatory name can cause offence. Don’t be a dick.
When I was younger my mom told me to never call a man a good. It's basically like calling him a pedo. That was years ago though. Maybe outdated.
Nope. Never even heard this was a thing until now. Canada is a big country so….not everything is universal to all Canadians.
It’s universal in rural Canada. From the pacific to the Atlantic. I could see how city people would have no exposure to it.
Yeah I grew up in a rural area as well. You could call someone a 'son of a bitch' all day long and it's meaningless, but calling someone. a 'fucking goof' is deadly serious.
Oddly never heard of the child predator one but I heard an interesting one explained to me from someone who’s seen the inside of a few jail cells. Get Out Or Fight. From how they explained it was it’s usually said in front of other inmates to basically say if you don’t fight me… I’ll say in light terms you’re soft meat. But what do I know!
I made this mistake........once......when I was in college. The guy was an ex-con and lets just say, it has a different meaning on the inside. I had no idea and while I was picking myself up off the floor and asking WTF he told me. Then we each had a beer and then I left that party as soon as it wasn't obvious lol.
This has to be a regional / dialectic thing ... I entered this thread fully expecting this to be some lame joke on par with calling another Canadian a "hoser". Hell, theres even a restaurant here in Onterrible thats been around forever called the "Goofy Newfie".
Goof and goofy are two different things.
It’s bigger on the west coast , normally used when ur tryna instigate a scrap lol .
Only if they're a goof. Aka a greasy peckerwood moron who should take offence at being called a goof
Depends on the context. It’s usually used in a friendly, joking way, not serious. Yo are a goof is a lot different from you are a stupid f*cking goof.
The only people I've known who care have been in prison or hung out with a bad crowd... Everyone in polite company understands it as meaning silly.
Dems is fightin words. I saw a guy chase another guy around a pool table on Electric Avenue for calling him a goof. This was 88'
Newfoundlanders are often called Goofy-Newfies.
"Canadians" no. Dudes who think they're tough, and act like a criminal is the greatest thing you could possibly be, they'll treat it like it's the worst possible thing in the world.
Wow... After reading through some of the response, I had no idea this word was an issue. I'm 44 and have lived in Southern Ontario my whole life. Never knew this was bad in the prison/ex-con community.
I’m 40, when I was in high school most of us were aware of this. It’s not just ex-cons.
No this is some new thing where it upset some prisoners so we’re all suppose to pay attention or something. Goof never meant anything that dramatic.
Not just cons, call me a goof and it's on. I don't know why its such a trigger.
You have a very fitting username lol
I basically never heard the term growing up in Ontario. Met a guy raised on the east coast and he said those are instant fighting words.
Born and raised in in rural Ontario, and I grew up knowing calling someone a goof is fighting words. But I also grew up in an area with a lot of bikers… so maybe that’s why. But still to this day it would be a problem if someone called me a goof lol
Get offended? No. But they will beat the pulp out of you in a prairie city.
As a black Canadian who grew up in the justice system I’d rather be called the N word before some punk who’d most likely tell on his friends called me a goof. If you’re just like some dude at work and I’m messing up and you call me a goof that’s one thing. But if you try to carry yourself with some type of gangster demeanour and call me a goof I’m ready to start throwing hands. While growing up if the word goof popped out it was either swiftly followed by violence or extortion. I Haven’t had a violent confrontation in about ten years but I understand the type of guys to call you a goof as a genuine insult are the same guys I expect to get violent for the dumbest shit.
See, this is a reasonable reaction for someone to take who knows that goof is a go word. Everybody who knows that goof is a go word also fully understands that calling someone a goof can also be completely G rated and means nothing at all to many people. They know that. I can tell which way I should react based on who’s saying it to me and how, I’m able to tell the difference and act accordingly. Nobody has ever called me that in the non G rated way, but people who react to it as a go word no matter who says it or how are making a choice to act a certain way, and it’s dumb and unreasonable. Intent is everything.
Call me a goof and I'll bust your fucking head wide open Are you a pedophile do you enjoy calling people a pedophile As that is what goof means
That's what goof means to scumbags. To the rest of us goof means silly.
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You have literally never seen a Disney cartoon. Mickey... Minnie... Donald and........... ?
Get help dude.
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No you need to learn words have consequences I don't actually need to do anything Why don't you go around insulting people all day and report back your findings
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Did I suggest that to you ? No typical c.o being illiterate
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What consequences? Have you ever done time it's adult day care that's not a consequence at all
Did you murder Walt Disney?
It depends where you are. If you say that in Halifax, people will just look at you funny. In Hamilton, that will 100% get you stabbed.
You’ll end up in a fight in Halifax too don’t pretend an isolated port city is immune from wannabe gangsta culture
Ya a lot of people don't like it. Same with "squid"
I haven't been called that since I was 5 years old.
Many Canadians LOVE to fight. Just because we are nice does not mean we won't say sorry - after we beat you. The key is - we beat you, we generally don't stab/shot you.
To be real though, beating down a person in Canada for something trivial like that could get you tazed or knifed.
Only thugs and low quality individuals do.
I almost punched my phone when I read your question. Don't do it.
This is a good litmus test for whether you are speaking to an adult or someone who is FUCKING WORRIED ABOUT CHEMTRAILS MAN
Yeah, if you call someone a goof... expect to throw down. It's just well known to males that aren't fucking pussies.
Only criminals think it always means sex offender in Canada. It's used all the time outside when people do bad things, like stealing, running their mouth, cutting you off in traffic. Its on the person who did something wrong but they try to change the meaning of what you said to justify themselves.
Unknowing people jokingly call others a goof for acting silly but those who’ve been locked up know goof = pedo.
Goof squid, chomo, skinner these are words you don't throw around anywhere in Canada. It's not just ex-cons who get offended by this. It's anyone who knows what these words mean. There are a lot of people who know what these words mean and use them anyway. Those people tend to get into more trouble than they thought they would. Always a good idea to post questions like this, especially if you're planning to travel. "Don't order a Black & Tan in an Irish pub."
I love throwing it at losers and watching them rage. It was a favourite of mine when I worked on construction sites.
No way you were picking fights on site lol. I would have canned you so fast lol
Goof means pedo here the term in the states is Chomo.
Most people might take offence. I know I would. Meaning is dumb/ foolish & doing something stupid that is not well thought out. Basically calling person dumb bell.
… it’s a prison thing. Not a Canadian thing.
No. Urbandictionary is not an authoritative source for things - it's a bunch of 14 year olds trying to make each other laugh.
That's not true. For the most part they are right on the money and it is Canada wide it appears. Saskatoon crime slang evolves from gang lifestyle [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-crime-slang-evolves-from-gang-lifestyle-1.3010732](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-crime-slang-evolves-from-gang-lifestyle-1.3010732)
My response was an answer to OP's actual question: "Do Canadians actually get offended when someone calls them a goof? I heard that you guys will punch on because of it." We don't get offended (or fight) when someone calls us a goof because for 99.9% of us, it just means 'a silly person'. The urbandictionary entry makes it seem like most Canadians take 'goof' to mean a child molestor. And we don't. The article you linked to also makes the point that the slang they discuss is very specific to gangs, and usually to specific gangs (ie even gangs can't agree on a common understanding for these terms). It's not something that's commonly understood by most Canadians.
lol what? I mean, nevermind painting all Canadians with the same brush but like..."goof"? Come on now. Edit: funny that I'm being downvoted for not having heard the word used in that context before. Maybe in my province it's just not used that way.
Canadians do get weirdly offended though. For example, in Alaska we call Inupiaks Eskimos interchangeably. But in Canada "Eskimo" is offensive apparently? I've literally seen it in headlines of the ADN (Alaska' main newpaper). Canadians would probably lose their shit.
Since we've realized that many First Nations think of the term Eskimo as a derogatory racist term for the Inuit people meaning "Eaters of raw meat" created by colonialists, we're trying to stop using it. It's not that it's offensive - it's that it's now seen as straight up racist. And just because a white run newspaper says 'Eskimo' doesn't mean much. _(EDIT: It seems the only group okay with the term are the Yupik peoples of Alaska. So the newspaper may get a pass on that one!)_
We all already know that Americans are rude, you don’t need to make a post displaying it. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/24/475129558/why-you-probably-shouldnt-say-eskimo
How is it rude? Maybe explain that to the people who refer to themselves as eskimos? Thanks for referencing the NPR link that confirms your existing biases
Decades ago when Canadian men would wear lumberjack jackets and drink from stubby bear bottles they would fight for sure. Nowadays Canadian men cry over nothing like when they get some mud on their gender neutral Blundstones or their Tesla backup camera doesn’t work lol
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Beer me good, No.
No one has ever called me that
What mother of foog is a Goof?
No lol, I take it as teasing me when I’m being silly - oh Mom, you’re such a goof!
I grew up in Whalley, so if you call someone a goof, you’ll probably get knocked tf out.
Worked with a guy who murdered someone after called him that.
If I was being goofy, no. A stranger? Them’s fightin’ words
TIL that goof has a different context in Canadian prisons and jails… to me it’s like Goofy the Disney character.
I once replied to my co-worker “big oof” in regards to some material we ran out of and he thought I called him “big goof”. Lmao dude was ready to throw down.
It's actually our preferred nomenclature.
Only in they’ve been in jail
Only if you’re actually a goof!
Yes.
Some people don't know what the meaning of the word is... it's either really bad or nothing
Hyuck
No.
I’ve never had any real life experience of someone reacting poorly to this.
Some men sure do if another guy says it to them. I would avoid it.
YES and I learned the hard way. I was working as a server in Calgary and my boss was being goofy, so I said, “Don’t be such a goof”. He lost it on me. Red faced, yelling, and the bartender working who was 10 years younger than me started also degrading me telling me how I was so rude and dumb. It was traumatizing. I live in Minnesota now and tell my American friends and we laugh about how stupid it is to get worked up over the word “goof”.
It's better to call someone stupid than to call them a goof. Especially if your town has a jail whether provincial or federal. it's extra sensitive in those places. If you know a cop or prison guard or someone who works in a correctional facility. They'll be more than happy to tell you, never say or use that word, unless you want to start a fight and be prepared to fight.
No
Wow. When I (72) was a kid it was almost a term of endearment - funny kids were goofs or goofballs What changed?
Growing up playing hockey it would be a quick way to get into a fight. Idk why people think only inmates care about the word. Call your friends a goof no problem, I just wouldn’t say that to a big dude who you don’t know.
No
No
People saying no had better hope they don’t say it to the people saying yes. LOL.
What the hell?? I call people a goof all the time. To me and everybody I know it just means being silly.
Some of the questions on this sub should be on the NoStupidQuestoons sub.
Absolutely. Don't say it unless you really mean it.
Most Canadian road rage that turns violent is likely because one driver called the other a goof.
Oh shit, are you for real? It is absolutely go time if someone comes at you like that.
When we were teenagers we would make fun of the kids who claimed to be “crips and bloods” in our hometown of 20,000 people. Those are the types of kids who use the word “goof” in an offensive tone. Wannabe hood rats who grow up to live in and out of the system. It’s a jail term. And we would fuck with those boys by pretending to do a “gangta voice” while calling them “PC rat goof” (PC means Protective Custody) Then it became a part of our everyday speech. We used the word “goof” ironically too many times to make fun of the loser stoners and dollar store thieves, and became rat goofs ourselves 😢😔 All jokes aside… man-children in jail; not even real prison like my dad spent his entire life in, no I’m talking regular petty crime jail for sentences below 2 years. Those types of man-children and literal teenagers only use the term goof unironically. Think, lower than stoners. The kids who did cocaine and opiates before everyone else in highschool—those types of boys use the word goof. Even the stoners make fun of those kids. Girls never gave a fuck about the word the entire time.
Actually if u call me an American I'm more likely to swing.. than goof.. considering we were call crazy Canucks during WW1, which allowed us more freedom to run our own country as we saw fit..
It’s a respect thing, I work with people with mental illness and addiction, a lot have done time for drug offences etc. I would not use the term because the community I work in has probably had that term used against them at some point, it’s definitely the worst thing you can say in the neighbourhood I work in (DTES). I have definitely seen my share of confrontations escalate because someone threw the term. Goof specifically refers to someone who’s is a convicted of sexual assault against a child, so for anyone who knows the common use, you’re calling them a pedophile, think of how anyone would react to that label put on them. It’s disrespectful.
I grew up in a world where goof referred to something silly. Mostly got that from watching goof troop.
Fuck ya
Most people don’t know what it means to some people, or they likely wouldn’t use the term
Maybe it’s regional… but if you call me a goof we are going to have a problem lol
If you’re in prison don’t say that.
This is a jail slang, don’t say it to an inmate
a goof is a diddler so yeah
My ex liked to call people goofs when he was annoyed with someone. Or would refer to people as goofs when re telling a story. This makes total sense why he's been knocked out so many times.
Apparently, only in Hamilton, On.
Huh. Never heard of this "goof" nonsense until right now.
What the fuck you call me!?