In correspondence with a native of the US last week, I happened to mention that somebody was all of a doodah over a recent piece of news. This caused great merriment in my correspondent, who had never heard the expression before. Is it not common in the Americas, or indeed the Southern outreaches of the English language?
Bingley
never heard it before, but I like it!
I've never heard it before, either. I have heard this song, however:
De Camptown Races
Gwine to Run All Night
-Stephen Foster. 1850
De Camptown ladies sing this song,
Doo-da, Doo-da
De Camptown racetrack's two miles long
Oh, de doo-da day.
Chorus:
G'wine to run all night
G'wine to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the gray.
2. Oh, de long tailed filly and de big black horse,
Doo-da, Doo-da
Come to a mud hole and dey all cut across,
Oh, de doo-da day.
Chorus:
3. I went down South with my hat caved in,
Doo-da, Doo-da
I came back North with a pocket full of tin.
Oh, de doo-da day.
Chorus:
So maybe when some of our Suthren US contingent checks in, they will have more info.
This bob-tailed nag ain't never heard of it either. I like it!
Me neither. Looks like yer on yer own, Bingley!
- Practising BOFH
I have heard this song, however:didja' see my subject, Connie?
All of a doodah to < hootchy-kootchy hooter >
hootenanny
SYLLABICATION: hoot·en·an·ny
PRONUNCIATION: AUDIO: htn-n KEY
NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. hoot·en·an·nies
1. An informal performance by folk singers, typically with participation by the audience.
2. Informal An unidentified or unidentifiable gadget.
ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown.
Once a very common expression here in the east; now considered somewhat camp.
(Hence the song?)
"camp" I remember being an Australian word picked up by
TIME fifty years ago to refer to poor taste.
Camp - Adj. An effeminate style and mannerism affected mainly by 'gays', however anyone can 'camp it up.' (from dictionary of slang)
Not heard much nowadays in the UK - at least not hereabouts. (North East) I've never said it. Nor was it heard in South Africa.
Once upon a time, there were two retired vaudevillians -- Zippity and Doo-Dah, who been a song-and dance team on stage for many years. Zippity was the singer; Doo-Dah did the dancing.
They often passed their time fishing together until, one day, there was a terrible accident: their skiff overturned and one of them drowned. Try as he might, Zippity was unable to resuscitate his old friend and partner Doo-Dah.
The police came and took down all of the pertinent information. They asked where Doo-Dah lived and were prepared to go and notify his next of kin but Zippity insisted that he be allowed to break the dreadful news to the family.
Zippity stood on the porch, knocked on the door, and, when the son and daughter-in-law answered, he broke into song (to the tune of "Camptown Races"): "The boat tipped over and guess who died? ..."
[taking him kindly by the arm e] Father Steve--why don't you go get some rest now, hear?
never heard of the term either Bingley, but it got me snapping me fingers it did!
Brought to mind - to do and brouhaha and ...
EARWORM alert'Twilight Zone'
Jackie
wiping tears actually
Berkley, California
Pasadena, California
Somewhere in the San Bernadino Mountains, California
http://www.shirleyjones.com/Archive/doodah/doodah.htmKalamazoo, Michigan
Moorhead, Minnesota
Juan's link Ocean City, New Jersey
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.marshallmcpeek.com/news/doodah/index.shtmlThere are probably more...
Check out this link, folks! I particularly liked the idea of the International Water Tasting Competition in Berkely, West Virginia and the Mashed Potato Wrestling and Potato Days in Clark, South Dakota
http://www.eccentricamerica.com/whos_who.htm
ah, good old Clark... I've been there several times, but I don't think I had any potato(e)s...
I never seed a doodah 'scaped a song, nor hope to see one, neither. Tho if I did and it had a "all of a" tacked on, I know *I'd* be all of a merriment--Jus' like yer friend.
There is an annual Tick Festival in Heeney, Colorado. I am not going near the lines surrounding the title of Miss Sucker. Not me! I KNOW those police are still here somewhere.
No mention of Miss Sucker, but here are some, er, interesting pictures:
http://www.coloradodreams.com/tfhome.htm My fave is the Lunaticks.
Acc'g. to another site, the festival hasn't been held for the last couple of years.
The only person I've heard proclaim someone "all of a doodah, don't you know" was Bertie Wooster. But Jeeves straightened it all out.
"This seemed plausible. I number several authors among my aquaintance - the name of Boko Fittleworth is one that springs to the mind - and they invariably become all of a doodah when they read a stinker in the press about their latest effort."