Gradeau? Gradoo?

Question

In another newsgroup, I recently ran across the use of the word "gradoo" to mean something like junk or cruft. I was gobsmacked, to say the least. This is a word that I use (I spell it "gradeau", but pronounce it as I expect "gradoo" would be pronounced), and the meaning is the same: it's crud, or offal, or garbage, or other undesirable stuff. However, I had never heard anyone outside a small group in college (mid-1970's, Wisconsin) use it that way, and I had believed it to have originated there and then.
Has anyone else heard or seen this word, under either spelling? If so, do you remember where and when?

rzed

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]In another newsgroup, I recently ran across the use of the word "gradoo" to mean something like junk or cruft. ... then. Has anyone else heard or seen this word, under either spelling? If so, do you remember where and when?[/nq]
Oh, no! STS.
It seems we stood and talked like this, before
We looked at each other in the same way then
But I can't remember where or when ...

Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In another newsgroup, I recently ran across the use of the word "gradoo" to mean something like junk or cruft. ... then. Has anyone else heard or seen this word, under either spelling? If so, do you remember where and when?[/nq]
No, and I don't find anything in my historical dictionaries.

A Google hit suggests it is more often spelled "gradue". Searching with a plus sign to remove hits for "gradué" gives a few like:

Unwords.com - The Unword Dictionary - Alphabetical List - G ... curiousity. 20. gradue (gr 'd ). 1. (n.) Anything gross and unidentifiable, usually sticky, that can be found almost everywhere. ... www.unwords.com/alpha/s0-G.html
PHONE TESTING ANDCLEANING PROCEDURE
... Cleaning handsets consists of brushing the gradue out of the ear and mouthpiece slots and removing the dirt sludge out of the small groove around the perimeter ...
www.scd.ucar.edu/
nets/docs/teldoc/phone.testing.and.cleaning.procedures.html

Best Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]In another newsgroup, I recently ran across the use of the word "gradoo" to mean something like junk or cruft. ... then. Has anyone else heard or seen this word, under either spelling? If so, do you remember where and when?[/nq]

I was just getting ready to ask the newsgroup about that word!

The one and only time I heard it used was in the 1980s on an episode of St. Elsewhere, where ornery Dr. Craig sneers, "Where did you learn this bit of gradoo?" or something along those lines (phonetic spelling). For years I've tried to identify that word. I assumed it was a French word. The use of a foreign word which would have been entirely in keeping with Dr. Craig's character.
About two days ago, something made me think of that episode, and I thought to myself, I should ask about the word in AUE.

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain. Have I confused you? Go here:
http://myweb.cableone.net/denajo/emailme.htm

Gradeau? Gradoo?

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