goosey night n Also goose night Also sp goosie night nNJ, NYC
= mischief night n.
1969 Daily Home News (New Brunswick NJ) 31 Oct 32/1, Call it what you will—Mischief Night, Goose Night or Hell Night—but last night was the traditional night for youngsters to vent their mischievousness. 1974 Norwood About Paterson 120 cnNJ (as of 1968), The mayor took little action and called this descent into chaos “a bad Goosey Night.” 1977 Asbury Park Press (NJ) 31 Oct 1/3, The sequence was typical of the activities of police here and in many other municipalities during what has traditionally become “mischief,” “hell” or “goosey” night. It is marked by pranks such as soaping windows to more serious destruction of property. 1977–78 Foster Lexical Variation 76 nNJ, In Passaic County and adjacent portions of Bergen, Morris, and Essex [Counties], Goosie Night is the usual name [for the night before Halloween]. 1980 MJLF 6.21, When I was a child, the night before Halloween was always known as “mischief night” throughout New Jersey. . . In our household, though, the occasion was always called goosey night. 1984 DARE File cnNJ, Goosey Night is the night before Halloween. 2009 AmSp 84.440 nNJ, Goosey Night is the term of choice [for the night before Halloween] in an area comprising Passaic County, the eastern half of Sussex County, and the northeast section of Morris County. 2015 in 2017 DARE File—Internet cnNJ, Goose Night is also a tradition in Morris County. It was and is still big in Butler. Ibid NYC, Goosey night was popular in Queens NY when I was growing up. Mainly consisted of throwing eggs at people and property, pounding “friends” with flour filled socks, spraying shaving cream all over cars and doors. Ibid neNJ, NYC, Born in l[ower] e[ast] s[ide] Manhattan and later moved to Eastside Paterson area of NJ at school age, both areas it was known as Goosey Night.