booger
A ghost or bogeyman; also dried mucus from the nose.
Also called boogerman, booger man.
Updated September 21, 2026
booger pronunciation
/BOOG-er/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, a booger is a spook, hobgoblin, or the thing that gets you if you stay out after dark. Kids get warned about the booger man. Outside ghost stories, the same word means the dried bit you find when you pick your nose. Context usually makes clear which one Mama meant.
How folks use it
- “Don't go in that hollow after dark. There's a booger in there.”
- “Wipe that booger off your face before you sit at the table.”
Origin and etymology
Tied to older English bogey and bugge words for hobgoblins. Southern and Smoky Mountain English kept booger for ghosts and for scaring children into behaving. The nose sense grew later as everyday slang across American English.
Frequently asked questions
Which meaning came first?
The ghost and bogeyman sense is the older regional one. The nose sense is later everyday slang.