Harsh.
Surfing has one great swear word and it is “kook.” Etymologists are generally agreed that the one syllable invective is derived from the Hawaiian word kūkae, meaning “feces” and used, in those early years as today, to refer to surfers with poor ability.
Extremely rude and the very worst thing one surfer can call another. An utterance in the lineup must be met with extreme force, indignation or flipped script.
“No, YOU’RE a kook.”
Very harsh but equally harsh when uttered on land and let us learn the story of American surfer and tourist Paul Cole who used it to deeply shame The Beatles.
One of the greatest photobombs ever was the the man standing on the pavement to the right of the picture of the Abbey Road album cover by The Beatles. He was an American tourist named Paul Cole. Cole was accidentally included in the album cover as he watched the four one by one cross the street while on vacation in London and thought they were just four “kooks.”
Almost a year later, he saw the album by chance when his wife, a church organist, was given the record to play at a wedding. “I saw it resting against her keyboard,” Cole remembered, “and I said, Hey! It’s those four kooks! That’s me in there!”

Despite his realization, the retired salesman has never enjoyed the Beatles. “I’ve never heard Abbey Road,” Cole said. “I’ve seen the Beatles on television and have heard a few of their songs. It’s not my kind of thing. I prefer classical music.”
“Hey, it’s those four kooks.”
Ouch and it is now incumbent on Paul McCartney and/or Ringo Starr, the two remaining Beatles, to find either Cole or one of Cole’s surfing sons and demand retraction.
It will be a hard day’s night until then.
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The rest of the world looks at him and thinks, “poor old kook”.
The article presumes the American tourist who used the word “kook” was familiar with native Hawaiian surfer terms which is ENTIRELY ridiculous!! An American businessman in the 1960s was far from being erudite.
Hence, this article is premised on a fallacy. And is merely successful click bait *sigh*
This old man was and is an ignorant kook. if anyone is. Surfers are kooky.
Ha, someboody get Spicoli to a tasty wave, like now!
<—– doesn’t trust anyone who doesn’t like The Beatles. <3
How ever will the remaining Beatles sleep at night knowing that they are now kooks? My guess is quite a bit more comfortably than the rest of us.
The dude is on perhaps the most iconic photo, not only in musical history, but in the history of photography. He doesn’t really care? What a kook
A photobomb is when you purposely get in the picture that was not a photobomb.
Googled the word kook – and saw your face on it.
Ha! I can’t believe Brady had the audacity to use his white privilege during black history month of all months to go out and win the Super Bowl! So very microaggressive of him.
See, Rick Kane was right, Haole is a form of greeting!
I find the term endearing as well enraging. Either way, were the Beatles kooks or not … did they ever attempt the sport of kings? I feel like a lead has been buried somewhere.
John Lennon had better style than you kooks. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
https://external-preview.re…
Isn’t Buccaneers a racist term for pirates?
No, but it’s a pretty apt term for Biden’s relationship with China.
Surprised you missed that one. You slipping Otto.
C’mon a downvote … where’s your sense of humour johnny boy
I cast-off my booze, drug, and sexual virginity in Liverpool.
Good town.
I enjoy George’s very personal ‘fuck you Paul and John ya fuckin kooks’ timeless hit that addressed every kooky thing that George hated about Paul and John.
This version is unbelievable. Prince was definitely not a kook.
https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Yeah, that’s a great version. I love the look on Dhani Harrison’s face watching Prince tear into that solo.
Aloha nui Chas! You not only spelled kūkae correctly but ya added the diacritical kahako!
Copy and paste is such a marvelous tool isn’t it?
yes but I wish it could copy TWO things and paste them , instead of just one !! Too kooky ?
that was fun watching Gronk romp on the Chiefs yesterday
Nice bit of trivea–that aside–I think we can safely say Elo and Dirk Ziff, are full on ‘Kooks’, and oh ya, Daniel Duane also, it seems the words, “kooks go home”, written on some steps to the beach, freaked him out so bad as a newbie VAL, that he never got over it and thus had to lash out at others later in life, as some kind of catharsis, to try and justify a place in the line-up.
Paul’s the only kook without booties.
Yeah but he’s got webbed-gloves on.
If you listen to Sgt Pepper’s backwards it says “will Paul come back as Richie Collins”?
Never realized Ringo is wearing a green yarmulke/kippah in that picture.
See previous article. Derek R is trying to whittle away at his annual quota of Jew friendly articles in the hope his family can come home.
If one enters a logging contest in Israel, does your Dick Brewer have to be circumcised?
The judges check before each heat.
NikDee needs to spew his anti Semitic shit too.
BG’s an equal opportunity anti-depressive site