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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Woo hoo! #178296 07/26/2008 6:26 PM Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 BaselAnnie stranger BaselAnnie stranger Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 4 This is a phrase I am wondering about: How and when did "Woo hoo!" as an exultant expression of rejoicing get started? I see it on blogs--is it mostly just used in etalk, like LOL? Or are people actually saying it, and I am just not hearing it? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! BaselAnnie #178298 07/26/2008 6:42 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! tsuwm #178323 07/27/2008 10:41 AM Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 Hydra addict Hydra addict Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 Since Yahoo! became a trademark? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! BaselAnnie #178328 07/27/2008 12:52 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh It seems based on an interjection common in 19th century accounts of American Indians (though I did find one about New Guineans) a sort of whooping. Here's an interesting example from Moby Dick (ch 61):  Quote: "Woo-hoo! Wa-hee!" screamed the Gay-Header in reply, raising some old war-whoop to the skies; as every oarsman in the strained boat involuntarily bounced forward with the one tremendous leading stroke which the eager Indian gave. The Gay-Header referred to is Tashtego a Native American harpooner (ch 27):  Quote: Next was Tashtego, an unmixed Indian from Gay Head, the most westerly promontory of Martha's Vineyard, where there still exists the last remnant of a village of red men, which has long supplied the neighboring island of Nantucket with many of her most daring harpooneers. In the fishery, they usually go by the generic name of Gay-Headers. Yahoo (or yah hoo) can also be an interjection of joy or exultation, besides being the name of a people in Gulliver's Travels. Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! zmjezhd #178345 07/27/2008 5:22 PM Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 Hydra addict Hydra addict Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 631 I've always wondered if Swift named his savages after an existing exclamation, or if someone took the exclamation from Swift. Undoubtably the former. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! tsuwm #178348 07/27/2008 9:38 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York thank you, tsuwm -- you sure have your finger on the pulse of popular culture! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Yahoo! Hydra #178349 07/27/2008 11:42 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803  Originally Posted By: Hydra I've always wondered if Swift named his savages after an existing exclamation, or if someone took the exclamation from Swift. Undoubtably the former. FWIW, the B&M OED lists Swift as the earliest citation and credits him with coining it. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Yahoo! Faldage #178350 07/28/2008 12:33 AM Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 390 कहीं &... latishya enthusiast latishya enthusiast Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 390 कहीं &...  Originally Posted By: Faldage  Originally Posted By: Hydra I've always wondered if Swift named his savages after an existing exclamation, or if someone took the exclamation from Swift. Undoubtably the former. FWIW, the B&M OED lists Swift as the earliest citation and credits him with coining it. The online OED says of the interjection that it is "[Prob. echoic. Cf. YAHOO n.]" (e.a.) and credits Swift with the noun. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! zmjezhd #178354 07/28/2008 2:51 AM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania The Pook old hand The Pook old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,067 Tasmania  Originally Posted By: zmjezhd It seems based on an interjection common in 19th century accounts of American Indians (though I did find one about New Guineans) a sort of whooping. ...etc I think that's probably coincidental. Isn't it just a recent Gen-Y exclamation of approval or joie-de-vivre that has spontaneously arisen in the past few years for no apparent reason? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! The Pook #178380 07/28/2008 1:48 PM Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh spontaneously arisen in the past few years for no apparent reason? Could have, although the Homerian interjection d'oh!, which has wormed its way into the dictionary as well as the vox pop, was coined in homage to James Finlayson's catchphrase of exasperation in many a Laurel and Hardy short ... Ceci n'est pas un seing. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Woo hoo! zmjezhd #178381 07/28/2008 2:35 PM Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY twosleepy old hand twosleepy old hand Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 876 western NY Citing no research whatsoever and nothing to back it up, it is my opinion that the exclamation itself is ancient, having its origin in animal vocalizations, perhaps imitated by early humans. "Woo-hoo" is just the current English rendition, nothing more. :0) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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