I have a theory that the expression "Tootle-oo" is derived from the French expression, "A Tout a l'Heure," which means, "see you soon."

Can anyone confirm or correct my theory, and cite an authoritative source?

-Tom

Sounds plausible.

My aunt was very fond of the expression.

I agree about the plausibility, but I've always heard this as 'toodle-oo', wiht a d rather than a t. You have opened my eyes to a new option!

as 'toodle-oo', wiht a d rather than a t.

I also, or should that be, " medoo?"

Gadzooks, a third welcome in the same day, same category!
Glad to have you, toma!

I know I've read something about the origin, but (of course)
can't find it now, but I think you're right.

Tootles is heard here occasionally.
With a t, "medoo"!

You knew it was coming, didn't you? Of course you did. . .

Back in the good ol' days, we're talkin' the 1860s, there was a fine western gal named Abbigail. Now, she wasn't always a western gal, nosiree, she was born to a wealthy family from around New Orleans. Her father owned one of the biggest plantations in Louisiana, but, being a good rebellious daughter, Abbigail disliked the practice of slavery and left her family to go out west.

After trekking across five states, she finally ended her journey when she got to Ogden, Utah. She lived there for only about three months, but she got quite a reputation for having come all the way from New Orleans all by herself. Because of her birthplace, the locals started calling her Lou, and the nickname stuck. While in Ogden, she was informed that a major railroad was going to come through and put Ogden on the map. Abbigail (Lou), always an adventurous gal, decided that she wanted to go help them build the railroad, so she went further west and hooked up with the Central Pacific Railroad Company. They told her that a woman, much less a girl, could help them build a railroad, but she insisted on remaining with them. Seeing that there was virtually nothing they could do to persuade her to leave, they gave her the job of sitting in the front and pulling the train whistle whenever the crew was done for the day or they entered a new town. "Lou" enjoyed using the whistle and hearing it's mellifluous "toot" her moniker was extended to "Tooty Lou" by the rail workers.

When the two ends of the railroad finally joined in Ogden in 1969, reporters from all over came to see the laying of the golden spike. Abbigail was ready to return to her family in Louisiana now, so on that day, in front of all of the reporters, the rail workers waved good-bye to the charismatic southern belle with a hearty "Bye-bye, 'Tooty Lou'". The reporters, having no knowledge of Abbigail's nickname, took the farewell to be a new way of saying good-bye and thus people across the world began to say "Tootle-oo".

The reporters, having no knowledge of Abbigail's nickname, took the farewell to be a new way of saying good-bye and thus people across the world began to say "Tootle-oo".

Is it a sin that I prefer your "explanations" to tsuwm's?

toma,

It appears you're not the first with the theory. Found the reference below on the Web (isn't it a splendiferous thing?) on a page devoted to - of all things - the lyrics of The Grateful Dead, on whom, I should add, I am no expert. [And what an abominable sentence that was for only my second post - please be gentle.] The song in question is apparently called the Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleoo. My cousin uses the variation "toodle-pip" allegedly mentioned in the OED, although how "oo" becomes "pip" mystifies me! Anyway back to the URL (hope I get this hot-link thing working first time!):
http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/halfstep.html
and follow the link on the word Toodleoo to:
http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/halfstep.html#toodleloo

For those not inclined to click, it reads:
Toodleloo
From the Oxford English Dictionary:
"toodle-oo int. colloq. [Origin unknown; perh. f. TOOT (An act of tooting...)] Goodbye. Cf. PIP-PIP.
1907 Punch 26 June 465 'Toodle-oo, old sport.' Mr. Punch turned round at the amazing words and gazed at his companion. ...
Also toodle-, tootle-pip.
Partridge speculates:

"...or maybe, as Mr F.W. Thomas has most ingeniously suggested, a Cockney corruption of the French equivalent of '(I'll) see you soon': a tout a l'heure."

For the REALLY interested, the Partridge reference is:
Partridge, Eric. A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English : Colloquialisms and Catch-phrases, Solecisms and Catachreses, Nicknames and Vulgarisms. NY: MacMillan, 1984.

Hope that helps!

>Is it a sin that I prefer your "explanations" to tsuwm's?

yes. please remit your sin-tax at your earliest convenience.

and marty: very well done (for a rookie) on LIU and the hot links!