Owner review 14, stage 2c: deep meaning checks on the 29 survivors (2026-10-13)
Status: Draft · Date: 2026-10-13 · Stage 2c of owner review 14. Input: the 29 survivors of stage 1. Audience: the owner and the other stage 2 lanes. Nothing outside this file was changed. Trademark, domain and handle checks are other lanes.
Owner, review 14 (verbatim). "Let's look for other words. And make sure they are usable ones"
0. Result
| Verdict | Count | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | 6 | Homil, Danchu, Jongi, Namul, Nancho, Jigap |
| Usable with conditions | 20 | Hosu, Sudal, Megi, Binu, Nari, Ima, Ibul, Gamja, Dabal, Basak, Asak, Sagak, Sabal, Ubak, Jogi, Toran, Gochi, Dubu, Goni, Bori |
| Blocked | 3 | Ohu, Hobak, Sori |
Order inside "Usable with conditions" is rough strength, best first. "Clear" here means the meaning and store checks found nothing; it is not a trademark clearance.
1. Evidence tags and limits
| Tag | Source (all fetched 2026-10-13 with curl) |
|---|---|
| NW | 나무위키 page /w/<한글>. I read the table of contents and searched the text for 비속어, 은어, 속어, 비하, 멸칭, 밈, 성기, 논란. 다발 redirects to 번들 (bundle); 바삭 has no page. |
| OD | 우리말샘 search/searchResult?query=<한글>, entries flagged by 속되게, 낮잡아, 비속, 은어, 비하, 욕. |
| W | English Wiktionary page for the lowercase Latin spelling (parse API with a browser-like User-Agent; the first run without one returned empty and was discarded). Language headings and senses. |
| UD | Urban Dictionary API, exact-term entries only. |
| JP | iTunes Search API, country=jp, entity=software&limit=50, Latin spelling, 3 s apart. Exact name = the title, or the part before :, -, |, (, equals the word. |
| GP | Google Play search page, hl=en&gl=US and hl=ko&gl=KR for the Latin spelling, hl=ko&gl=KR for the Hangul, 2 s apart. Titles parsed from <span class="DdYX5">. Parse worked for all 87 pages. Download bands come from the app detail page for the apps named below. |
| K | My own knowledge, not fetched. Unchecked. |
Limits. The Google Play search page returns at most about 30 results and no ratings, so a hit is judged by the download band on its detail page (all hits I opened are 5+ to 1K+ downloads). The Hangul spelling was searched on Google Play (KR) and the KR App Store in stage 1, not on the JP App Store. Slang that lives only in spoken use or on social media may be missing from NW, OD and UD. Wiktionary gaps mean "no entry", not "proven clean". No native-speaker check was done in any language.
2. Suspects the owner's brief named
| Word | Finding |
|---|---|
| 호박 | Confirmed insult. NW section 속어: 호박 is used to tease a plain-looking person ("호박에 줄 긋는다고 수박 되냐", the dead word 박호순). Also OD: monks' slang for beef. Choctaw/Chickasaw hobak (W) = eunuch, "coward" (derogatory). A KR Google Play app HOBAK (100+) exists. Blocked. |
| 감자 | NW 감자(동음이의어) §3: military slang for a grenade; §3.2 the rude fist gesture is 주먹감자 / 감자주먹, a finger-insult equivalent (seen in the film 살인의 추억); "감자 머리" for a round face. The bare word is potato and not an insult. A mild echo, not a block. |
| 고니 | NW: swan, but also 김곤's nickname in the comic and film Tazza (the gambler hero), a typhoon name, and two athletes' nicknames. UD: Israeli slang "a person with very low standards". W: Indonesian "sack", Polish "chases". Exact-name apps (Goni, Food) in all three stores. |
| 사각 | NW: 四角 (square), 死角 (blind spot, 사각지대 "the zone nobody sees") and the sound 사각사각. Blind spot is a real negative reading for a club app. A puzzle app SAGAK exists in the US and JP stores. |
| 메기 | NW: catfish, the 메기 효과 (an outsider shakes up a market; positive), and a typhoon. NW also records the English-derived sense "catfish" = a fake-profile scammer on dating apps, a sharp echo for an app that shows faces. OD: typhoon; regional word for 은어 (the fish). A MEGI app exists (below). |
| Sori | W Finnish sori = informal "sorry" (borrowed from English). Reads as "sorry" to English ears. Crowded on the stores. Blocked. |
| Dubu | Reads "doo-boo", close to "doo-doo". UD: nickname of Dahyun (TWICE) and of Onew (SHINee). A "Dubu Bubu" sticker app and a KR resale app DUBU exist. |
| Megi | The catfish echo above, plus W Old Norse form, Albanian given name (UD, "pearl"), typhoon. |
| Jigap | NW: 지갑 is also gamer slang for a paying player (지갑전사, "wallet warrior"). The ending "-gap" evokes the apparel brand (K). |
| Ohu | W English heading: borrowed from Māori ohu, a New Zealand rural commune or work party of the 1970s. Also looks like Oʻahu (K). A culturally owned word. Blocked. (Also W: Estonian, Calamian Tagbanwa "dog".) |
| Gochi | W Japanese ごち (rōmaji). 고치 is also Kōchi city and prefecture in Japan (NW) and 고치다 "fix". No Spanish heading in W; Spanish slang not verified (K). |
| Jogi | W English "archaic form of yogi"; Hungarian jogi = legal; Livvi = river; Polish. UD: a "gullible guy". Korean 조기 also reads "early", "mourning flag" (弔旗, NW). |
| Ima | W lists 28 languages; Japanese 今 "now", Hebrew אמא "mother" (K), English "I'ma", Latin "lowest". None bad, but crowded. |
| Bori | W lists 11 languages (Albanian, Esperanto, Hausa, Icelandic, Italian, Romanian, ...). Hausa bori is also a spirit-possession tradition (K). UD: short for Boricua. NW: a folk saying about the shape of barley; harmless. |
3. Per-word table
KR = Korean 2025 usage (NW, OD). EN = English reading and UD. Lang = Wiktionary headings and other-language senses. JP = JP App Store exact name. GP = Google Play exact name (US/KR Latin; Hangul found none for any word). Ratings from stage 1 stores are in the stage-1 doc.
| Word | KR | EN | Lang (W) | JP App Store | Google Play | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homil | rye. NW: bread, rice, liquor uses. No slang. | "HOH-meel". UD none. | none | none (44 results) | none | Clear |
| Danchu | button. NW: no slang (a "bursting button" character type). | "DAHN-choo". UD none. | none | none | none | Clear |
| Jongi | paper. NW: nothing but paper. OD: no slang. | "JOHN-ghee". UD: one nonsense entry. | none | none | none | Clear |
| Namul | seasoned greens. NW: food only. | UD none. W English: a Korean dish (loanword). | Polish verb form, Nese "orange" | none | none | Clear (food loanword, unrelated to tennis) |
| Nancho | orchid. NW: flower only. | reads like "nacho". UD none. | none | none | none | Clear |
| Jigap | wallet. NW/OD: gamer slang 지갑전사 for a spender; mild. | ends in "gap" (the apparel brand, K). UD none. | none | none | none | Clear (note the "-gap" echo and the wallet/payments image) |
| Hosu | lake. NW: no slang. OD: 16 entries, none slang. | "HOH-soo". UD: a Korean given name, positive. | Finnish hosu (informal "hurry, haste"), Japanese rōmaji of ほす "to dry", Nynorsk, Old English, Tetum | HOSU - 洗濯物の干し忘れ防止 (Utilities, 0 ratings) | none | Usable with conditions: a tiny JP laundry-reminder app with the exact name |
| Sudal | otter. NW: a meme from the historical drama (능창's nickname 수달); harmless. | "SOO-dahl". UD none. | none | Sudal-E (Education, 0) is a different name | Sudal - AI Chat & Mood Diary (US, 1K+ downloads); Sudal-E (KR) | Usable with conditions: a small live AI diary app with the exact name (1K+) |
| Megi | catfish; typhoon. NW: also the "fake-profile scammer" sense and the 메기 effect (positive). | "MEH-ghee". UD: Albanian name. | Old Norse inflected form; Albanian name (K) | none | MEGI (US and KR, 100+ downloads, a different category) | Usable with conditions: catfish echo for a faces app, plus a tiny exact-name app |
| Binu | soap. NW: slang only inside a novel (explosives). OD: none. | UD: Punjabi/Indian given name; a BIBI song; a dog meme. | Sardinian and Tarifit binu = "wine" (Moroccan Arabic bīnu, from Spanish vino) | none (33 results) | none | Usable with conditions: "wine" in two languages, an Indian given name, defunct biNu firm |
| Nari | lily; honorific "sir" (나리). NW also lists people and a typhoon. No slang. | UD: a tiny/cute girl; a teddy-bear character. | Hindi/Bengali "woman" (K, positive); Finnish "creaking joint disease"; Latin "nostril"; Italian, Japanese, Chuabo "buffalo" | Nari (Lifestyle, 0), Nari: Women's Magazine (0), NARI: Threads of Dawn (Games, 0) | Nari - Anti Dumbscrolling App (US/KR, 50+ downloads) | Usable with conditions: four tiny exact-name apps; same family feel as Naru/Nuri |
| Ima | forehead; slang 마빡. NW: a joke about a wide forehead. No bad sense. | "I'ma" slang contraction (UD). Easy to say. | 28 headings: Japanese "now", Hebrew "mother" (K), Latin "lowest", Quechua, Turkish, Tagalog | none exact (44 results) | Ima, IMA - App, IMA Mobile (500+), IMA Campus (1K+) | Usable with conditions: crowded name and noisy "IMA" acronym, no bad sense |
| Ibul | blanket. NW: 이불킥, slang for cringing at a memory; a light joke. | "EE-bool". UD none. | Nzadi "valley" | none | none | Usable with conditions: 이불킥 echo; the KR Hangul finance app (stage 1) remains |
| Gamja | potato. NW: 주먹감자 (rude gesture), grenade slang, "round potato face"; bare word is not an insult. | UD: romanization of "potato". Reads easily. | none | none (31 results) | none | Usable with conditions: the gesture and a "potato face" teasing sense |
| Dabal | bundle (NW redirects to 번들). The phrase 사고 다발 ("accident-prone") is a common negative frame (K). | "DAH-bahl". UD none. | Waray-Waray "punch, blow with the fist"; Wiradjuri dabal/dhabal = "bone" (Aboriginal Australian language) | none | none | Usable with conditions: "punch" in Waray, a living Indigenous-language word, accident echo |
| Basak | crispy (adverb); no NW page. No slang. | "BAH-sahk". UD: a common Turkish girl's name. | Cebuano basák "rice paddy; marsh"; Maranao "swamp"; Manobo "mud"; Turkish Başak "ear of wheat; Virgo" (K) | none | none | Usable with conditions: a Turkish given name and household brand; marsh in Philippine languages |
| Asak | crunchy (adverb). NW: Asak is a character, a talking honey apple, in the children's cartoon 마법여우 주비 (아소비교육). | "AH-sahk". UD: a person "like a Nico". | Indonesian asak "full, crammed" and "whirlpool"; Jingpho, Sundanese | none (48 results) | none | Usable with conditions: a children's-cartoon mascot of the same name |
| Sagak | square; NW: 死角 "blind spot" (사각지대); the sound 사각사각. | "SAH-gahk". UD none. | none | SAGAK: 四角パズル (Games, 0) | Sagak - Shikaku Logic Puzzle (US) | Usable with conditions: the blind-spot reading and a tiny puzzle app |
| Sabal | bowl. NW: also an abbreviation of a web-novel title. No slang. | UD: "epitome of awesome". "sabal" is a palm genus. | English (palmetto), Italian, Brunei Malay, Estonian, Tagalog, Taroko; Bengali/Hindi "strong" (K) | Sabal-Share Feelings (Entertainment, 0) | none | Usable with conditions: a tiny exact-name app |
| Ubak | hail. NW: weather only; hail damage is the image. | "OO-bahk". UD none. | Bikol "bark; rind", Yakan "taro" | UBak (Utilities, 0) | none | Usable with conditions: a hard negative image (hail) and a tiny exact-name app |
| Jogi | 조기: the croaker, but also "early", "mourning flag" (NW); a common word. | UD: "a gullible guy"; "Jedi-like". | English "archaic yogi"; Hungarian jogi "legal"; Livvi "river"; Polish; Veps | none | none | Usable with conditions: a Hindu-ascetic reading; four meanings in other languages |
| Toran | taro. NW: food and caution on eating it. No slang. | UD: a name; one crude entry. | English: an Indian ceremonial door garland (Hindi); Azerbaijani, Finnish, Galician, Swedish | Toran-APP (Navigation, 0) | Toran-APP (US/KR, 100+) | Usable with conditions: an Indian cultural term and an exact-name app |
| Gochi | cocoon. NW: also 고치 = a Starcraft unit, Kōchi (Japan), a cheerleader's nickname; 고치다 "fix". | UD: a "good-looking boy"; "unethical but stylish". | Japanese ごち "a treat; thank you for the meal" | Gochi: Quản lý chi tiêu nhóm (Productivity, 0) | Gochi - Group Expenses (US/KR, 50+ downloads) | Usable with conditions: a group-expenses app in three stores; money-adjacent, like a club's dues |
| Dubu | tofu; NW: "tofu-eating" is also a euphemism in Chinese slang for harassment, not a Korean sense. | "doo-boo"; may sound childish. UD: Dahyun, Onew nicknames. | nine headings (Czech, Hausa, Swahili, Hiri Motu, Maltese, Slovak, Esperanto, Serbo-Croatian), no bad sense | Dubu (Food & Drink, 0) | KR: DUBU resale community app; "Dubu Bubu" stickers (100+); dubupang (1K+) | Usable with conditions: K-pop noise, a childish sound, three small neighbours |
| Goni | swan. NW: Tazza's gambler 김곤; two athletes; a typhoon. | UD: Israeli slang "very low standards". | Indonesian "sack", Polish "chases", Romanian, Zazaki, Korean romanization | Goni (Food & Drink, 0) | Goni x2 (US/KR, 100+ downloads each); Goni (Courier) | Usable with conditions: gambler echo, an unflattering Israeli slang sense, exact-name apps in all three stores |
| Bori | barley. NW: harmless folk saying. 보리 is also a very common dog's name (K). | UD: short for Boricua. | 11 headings (Albanian, Hausa, Icelandic, Italian, Romanian, ...); Hausa spirit-possession tradition (K) | Bori - بوري (Travel, 0) | BORI Korean Community App (500+), Bori: Mystery Brain Training (5+), Bori Beads (10+) | Usable with conditions: the most crowded of the conditions list; one app is Korean-community |
| Ohu | afternoon. NW: time of day only. | "OH-hoo". UD none. | Māori ohu (NZ work party/commune), English heading from Māori; Estonian; Calamian Tagbanwa "dog"; looks like Oʻahu (K) | none (29 results) | none | Blocked: a culturally owned Māori word |
| Hobak | pumpkin, amber. NW: insult for a plain-looking person; OD: monks' slang. | "HOH-bahk". UD none. | Chickasaw/Choctaw hobak "eunuch; coward (derogatory)" | none | HOBAK (KR, 100+) | Blocked: an insult in Korean and a derogatory word in Choctaw |
| Sori | sound. NW/OD: no slang. | Reads as "sorry"; W Finnish sori = informal "sorry". UD: noisy entries. | 17 headings (Japanese sori rōmaji, Italian, Indonesian, Tagalog, Yoruba, ...) | SORI - Music Stream & MP3 (Music, 0) | SORI- White Noise & ASMR Mixer, Sori, SORI (US); five in KR incl. Sori Speak: Korean Coach | Blocked: "sorry" echo and eight or more exact-name apps, one a Korean-language coach |
4. Notes on the "Usable with conditions" group
- Safest conditions (a tiny exact-name app, or a mild echo): Hosu, Sudal, Megi, Binu, Nari, Ima, Ibul. If the owner wants a name that works, take these into the trademark lane first with Homil, Danchu, Jongi, Namul, Nancho and Jigap.
- Soft but real concerns: Gamja (the gesture), Asak (a children's mascot), Sagak (blind spot), Dabal (Waray "punch", a living Indigenous word).
- Weakest (several echoes at once): Jogi, Toran, Gochi, Dubu, Goni, Bori.
- Megi needs a decision on the catfish echo: in English a "catfish" is a fake profile, which clashes with a trust-tier app that shows real faces (see
docs/canon/trust.md). The 메기 effect is a positive Korean saying; the clash is abroad. - Hosu conditions are the JP laundry-reminder app HOSU (0 ratings) and Finnish informal "hurry".
5. Method and queries (to re-run)
bash
# 나무위키 and 우리말샘 (4 s and 3 s apart)
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0" "https://namu.wiki/w/%ED%98%B8%EC%88%98"
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0" "https://opendict.korean.go.kr/search/searchResult?query=%ED%98%B8%EC%88%98"
# Wiktionary (a browser-like User-Agent is needed) and Urban Dictionary
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0 (research)" "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/api.php?action=query&prop=extracts&explaintext=1&format=json&titles=hosu"
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0 (research)" "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/api.php?action=parse&prop=sections&format=json&page=hosu"
curl -s "https://api.urbandictionary.com/v0/define?term=hosu"
# JP App Store, 3 s apart
curl -s "https://itunes.apple.com/search?entity=software&limit=50&country=jp&term=hosu"
# Google Play (parse <span class="DdYX5">title</span>), 2 s apart
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) Chrome/124" "https://play.google.com/store/search?q=hosu&c=apps&hl=en&gl=US"
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) Chrome/124" "https://play.google.com/store/search?q=hosu&c=apps&hl=ko&gl=KR"
curl -s -A "Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) Chrome/124" "https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%ED%98%B8%EC%88%98&c=apps&hl=ko&gl=KR"Raw results (not committed): the scratchpad m/res.json (JP and Play titles), m/namu/*.txt, m/opendict.json.
Meaning-clear
Ordered Clear first, then Usable with conditions from strongest to weakest.
Homil 호밀 Danchu 단추 Jongi 종이 Namul 나물 Nancho 난초 Jigap 지갑 Hosu 호수 Sudal 수달 Megi 메기 Binu 비누 Nari 나리 Ima 이마 Ibul 이불 Gamja 감자 Dabal 다발 Basak 바삭 Asak 아삭 Sagak 사각 Sabal 사발 Ubak 우박 Jogi 조기 Toran 토란 Gochi 고치 Dubu 두부 Goni 고니 Bori 보리