The Webster’s Dictionary definition of ‘gouge’ seemingly has nothing to do with pilots or aviation. The term is military slang used by pilots, found documented on the internet as:
gouge
(U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard – particularly aviation) Informal information channel; the grapevine; the straight dope; inside information. Gouge is passed on by the gouge train.
‘Gouge’ fits better on the web page than any of the synonyms above. You can get bad gouge, but this is good gouge!