It is mentioned in the musical Oklahoma! and no one knows what it is. (Carnes to Ali the Peddlar)
2007-09-03 03:10:35 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
It was, originally, "*****-poke", which means "(excrement) digger", or one who makes a living by garnering the leavings of others. It is an Irish phrase.
It was cleaned up for Broadway.
BTW: the bird is a "shrike", not a "shike".
2007-09-03 18:54:54 · answer #1 · answered by d_cider1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Indications are that it is a kind of bird.
The following link identifies it as the American Bittern:
http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9611a&L=birdchat&P=6352
The following site identifies it as a fledgling American Robin because of its birdcall:
http://www.crowsystems.com/rehab/sounds.html
(Look in the "Thrush Family" section or hit Ctrl+F and type "shike" without the quotes)
Hope this helps
2007-09-03 04:32:02 · answer #2 · answered by rhapword 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does indeed mean sh*t digger, and was also a derogatory term for a male homosexual.
2015-05-22 07:58:34 · answer #3 · answered by crgrier 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋