pogie n. a protective mitt that attaches to a boat paddle. Etymological Note: Probably from the French pogne ‘mitt, hand’ or pagaie ‘paddle.’ Apparently unrelated to other forms and spellings of pogie meaning candy, a workhouse or poorhouse, a jail, one of several types of fish (especially the menhaden), or, in Canada, a welfare benefit. Also probably unrelated to pogue, which can refer to a homosexual or be used as derogatory name for a soldier or marine. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
How and why do words from one language find their way into another? Vietnamese, for instance, includes lots of words borrowed or adapted from French. Such linguistic mixing often happens when languages brush up against each other and speakers reach...
How and why do words from one language find their way into another? Vietnamese, for instance, includes many words borrowed or adapted from French, a vestige of colonialism. For example, the Vietnamese word for “train station,” ga, comes...
In Maine – it is also a fish used to bail lobster traps. And my father uses it to describe candy
ie: pogie bait
POG – pronounced “pogue” is a deragatory term for a non-infantry service member. It is short for Personell Other than Grunt.
POG is actually a backronym, meaning that the pogue spelling existed first and the fanciful acronym was created later.
pogies are also used by rowers – if you want to see a picture check out http://www.potomacrowing.com at the bottom of the page of clothing. By fitting over both hand & oar (or paddle for kayakers) it keeps your hands warm and dry-key for early morning April practice
Regarding the word POGIE:
In Canada, pogie means on the dole:collecting unemplyment insurance -govenment money for a certain number of weeks until you get a new job. (You must prove you are looking.)
I don’t know anything more about this.
The Canadian sense of “pogie” most likely comes from the much earlier sense of “workhouse” or “poorhouse.”
Pogie is also a Korean slang for the external female genitalia. Considered vulgar in most company.
The existing comments are all from 2006; however, here’s a possible correction or addition:
I’ll echo Jeffrey Paul’s comment above. In my Canadian experience – in Ontario, Alberta and on the East Coast, ‘pogie’ refers to unemployment insurance benefits (now renamed to employment insurance benefits … talk about doubletongued!), *not* to social assistance aka welfare.
POGIE BAIT – is a military term for sweets / snacks. It is derived from the Korean slang for the female genitalia (pogie). The GI’s during the Korean War would use candy or other sweets to entice Korean prostitutes, which they would refer to as bogie bait. The phrase has remained a part of the military lingo since.
Roger, that’s a completely different word and is unrelated to the one defined here.