↑ “paugie” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
Etymology
Shortened form of the Narragansett word mishcùppaûog ("porgies", plural). Another shortening of the same word yields the synonym scup.[1] The full word was borrowed as scuppaug. The singular was borrowed as mishcup.
Possibly reinforced by its similarity to porgy, especially in non-rhotic accents.