Iraqis revive ancient word `ulooj' to insult, greet U.S. troops

[kskiska]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - College students whisper the word when they spot U.S. troops in Baghdad streets. Vandals scrawl the word across military vehicles. Sneering taxi drivers mutter it when convoys block their cabs.

"Ulooj," they say, and while some use it with disdain and others more lightheartedly, it's unmistakably not a nice reference - though what precisely the ancient term from Arabic literature means depends on whom you ask. Among the translations offered: pigs of the desert, foreign infidels, little donkeys, medieval crusaders, bloodsuckers and horned creatures.

While no one can quite pin down the original definition, Iraqis agree on the modern definition: "It's the American military," said Maria Hassan, a 23-year-old history major at a university in Baghdad. "We use this word from the past for our occupiers of the present."

The revival of "ulooj" (pronounced oo-LOOZH) is the handiwork of Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf, the alternately comical and caustic information minister from the former Iraqi regime.

(snip)

"The Americans always use fancy words for their operations here - Desert Storm, Iron Grip - so we should also have special names for them," said Ahmed Kandeel, a 20-year-old Egyptian who attends university in Iraq. "What does `ulooj' mean, anyway? Isn't it `pigs of the desert?' "

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[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. I'm sure they mean the alternative definition....

"According to the al Waseet dictionary, a rare alternative interpretation of "ulooj" is "strong men" or "good fighters."








Well, maybe not all.

[JoeNormal]

2. Sticks 'n Stones...

Better that our troops stay to the high ground and not curse any mustache's.

[Voltaire99]

3. Translation: Yankee, go home!

In this the Iraqis are only applying their own tongue to a message that has been heard in many languages and many lands...