Meaning
What does Hock a Loogie mean?
To hock a loogie is to clear your throat loudly and spit out the freshly produced gob of spit and phlegm through your mouth.
It is excellent for clearing out your airways as well as repelling ladies.
Origin
What's the origin of Hock a Loogie?
The expression is a combination of two terms, hock which was first documented in the 15th century, as “for hauking up of blood”.
The second part of the phrase is loogie which derived from the word lunger, used for people with TB, and – in the 40’s – used for a mouthful of spit.
“Hock a loogie” had many variations before its current form would show up in 1967.
These would include “Hawk a lunger” or “hock a looey”.
Spread & Usage
How did Hock a Loogie spread?
The phrase became popular in the 1990’s and appeared on Urban Dictionary in 2010.
There are several videos and references to “hock a loogie” online, however the most prominent present day example for it appeared in the Family Guy episode Pawtucket Pete, which aired on December 9th, 2018.
External resources
- Merriam Webster – Do You ‘Hock’ or ‘Hawk’ a Loogie?