I found the word, “goo up” in the following statement of New York Times’ (April 2nd) article titled “Desperately seeking synonyms,” which was written by Constance Hale as a series of writing lessons. Though it’s a little bit long quote, I thought the lines being of particular interest to foreign English learners:
Writers sometimes forget that the primary role of nouns is to paint a clear picture, and they pile up abstractions and leave us clueless as to the people, places, things or ideas they are writing about.
Sometimes this is intentional, as when a spokesman for Hasbro said that the closing of a Scrabble plant in Fairfax, Vt., in 1999 was part of a “global improvement product.” Other times, it is unintentional, as when novice writers goo up descriptions with a lot of lush adjectives, rather than a few precise nouns.
I can vaguely imagine what “goo up” means from the word “goo,” but am not very clear.
Cambridge English dictionary registers “goo” only as a noun meaning “an unpleasantly sticky substance. No mention on verb.
Oxford English Dictionary registers only the definition as a noun meaning, 1. Sticky or slimy substance. 2. Excessively sentimentality. No mention on verb.
Google Ngram registers usage of “goo up” declining since 1900.
Though I think the writer used the right word in right place as this is a part of series of “How-to write” lesson, can “goo” used as a verb, which neither CED nor OED does provide?
Is “goo up” popular or well-worn idiom? What are its exact meaning and easier analogues?
Best Answer
It's an unusual construction, but I think what the writer means is to draw an analogy with a machine that is seized or clogged with 'goo'. It is a strongly metaphorical statement which is supposed to communicate the idea that popular writing is unnecessarily complicated (or constrained, or obfuscated) with too many personal anecdotes, and therefore doesn't fulfil its primary purpose, which is to educate or inform.