After hatching this theory, [Anatoly Liberman] says he was pleased to see it supported in "The Century Dictionary," a 19th Century dictionary edited by linguist William Dwight Whitney. It listed the definition of "gawk" as either "A cuckoo" or "A stupid, awkward fellow." It also lists the phrase "gawk's errand" as a synonym for "fool's errand." The connection between "gowke" and "gawk" requires less imagination than the possible connection between "gaw" and "gawk," Liberman says, though he emphasizes that there is no way to know for certain.