goon

Goon is Australian slang for cask wine. It's great for getting off your face, cheaply. It is also good if you like screaming hangovers.

One of the main characters in Diana Wynne Jones' fantasy novel Archer's Goon; so named because the guy who is nicknamed "The Goon" has been sent by an unknown person called Archer to strongarm writer Quentin Sykes into writing 2000 words for Archer. This leads into some really interesting times for the Sykes family.

A hired practitioner in the art of assault and mayhem, retained by unethical strike-breaking agencies, unions and management; a member of a private company police force. "Take a couple of them goons, wreck every truck pulling out, and give the drivers a workout (beating)."

- american underworld dictionary - 1950

Race of monsters in E.C. Segar's Popeye comic strip. The Goons were tall, rubbery creatures with enormous noses and eyes like black marbles, and were completely naked except for the patches of long hair at their waists, forearms, and shins. They spoke in a language that was represented in vertical zig-zag lines, like on a heart monitor.

See also Alice the Goon.

In hockey, the enforcer or cop is a teams insurance policy. They are paid to protect the teams star players from being elbowed, stick-slashed or hammered into the plexiglass boards. These tough guys are also paid to drop the gloves and fight. This is known within the holy innersanctum of hockey as rinkjustice, and the most feared and proficient of these warriors are called goons.