Trivia - Is the word 'hooker' a Dutch invention?

The Happy Hooker was one of our famoust women some years ago. Don't know if she's still in our world, but she was often on television.

I always heard it had to do with Gen. Hooker, but apparently the word pre-dates his popularity:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Hooker

Well, yes, Justin, but that's what those authors actually say. The General Hooker thing is a misconception. It's really about Corlaer's Hook. Funnily, this "Hook" obviously denotes a neighbourhood. But, in Dutch, you would probably associate a street corner (straat hoek) with the place where a hooker would be (depending on where the street is). In Amsterdam it's on the 'walletjes', not on the 'hoek'. Getting confused? :-)

This is all very entertaining. I just bought the "Gotham" book, George. Hope it's good. Justin's General Hooker wikipedia article mentions that the slang "hooker" was used before General Hooker became associated with behaving badly, and provide the Corlaer's Hook derivation. When I read George's first posty, I thought of the association with street corners. I have the impression though, that this is a 19th century word and maybe not derived from the Dutch language but rather from Dutch place names. (Or do the Dutch use the term "hoekers" for ladies of the night ;-)

I found several great ideas in http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=hooker&searchmode=none

One early theory traces it to Corlear's Hook, a section of New York City.

HOOKER. A resident of the Hook, i.e. a strumpet, a sailor's trull. So called from the number of houses of ill-fame frequented by sailors at the Hook (i.e. Corlear's Hook) in the city of New York. [John Russell Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1859]

Perhaps related to hooker "thief, pickpocket" (1560s), but most likely an allusion to prostitutes hooking or snaring clients. Hook in the figurative sense of "that by which anyone is attracted or caught" is recorded from early 15c.; and hook (v.) in the figurative sense of "catch hold of and draw in" is attested from 1570s; in reference to "fishing" for a husband or a wife, it was in common use from c.1800. All of which makes the modern sense seem a natural step. Cf. Fr. accrocheuse, raccrocheuse, common slang term for "street-walker, prostitute," lit. "hooker" of men.

And that naturally leads to "so where is Corlears Hook anyway."

Well guess what a quick google turned up:

Corlears Hook and the Pirate Gangs of the East River

The Short Tail Gang sit underneath a pier at Corlears Hook, picture taken in 1890, long after all the great pirate gangs of the area had disbanded, been eaten by rats, or joined the Confederate army (listen to podcast for explanation!)

http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/2009/11/corlears-hook-and-pirate-...

LOL Janice, no 'hoekers' in Holland. Thanks for the reference from the Dictionary of Americanisms, Erica! It's interesting when genealogy, etymology and language meet :-)

Well, we have "hoekers" in Holland. That are the so called "streetcorner workers" and they are professionals who help the people who have no home and live "on the street" like junkies. They do what's needed to help the homeless and prevent to much misery for them but especially the regular people who live there.
So no more joking about streetcorners! :-)

LOL again. Hmmm, I hope these professionals know what to say when some tourist in Amsterdam asks what they're doing for a living ;-)

Must be long time ago you were in Amsterdam George! You must be forgotten what clothes"your" streetworkers wore at that time.... No tourist can be mistaken about that of the must come from the south of France with surname Homs.....
LOL

It was 5 years ago, and I stayed at the Krasnapolsky, which is just around the corner of the Walletjes. Does anyone have a clue about what we mean with the Walletjes? If not, just think of Corlaer's Hook :-)

Does anyone have interest in our small talk? LOL
Keep walking to the Zoo (Artis). Or to het Stedelijk Museum or where ever. But keep walking.... :-)
;-)

I like the small talk. It's a geography lesson but with better jokes. :)

Now you know where the Krasnapolsky hotel is, so you have learned something! You follow everyone to the Wallen and than you go just around the corner :-)

all about it on wikipedia. So Erica you can upgrade your geography of Holland. Did n't want to put the link herem because us Dutch are wellbehaved.
:-)