a

East Slavic:

desctree

Old East Slavic: а (a)
Old Ruthenian: а (a)
Belarusian: а (a)
Carpathian Rusyn: а (a)
Ukrainian: а (a)
Russian: а (a) (see there for further descendants)

South Slavic:

Old Church Slavonic:

Old Cyrillic script: а (a)

Glagolitic script: ⰰ (a)

Bulgarian: а (a)

Macedonian: а (a)

Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic script: а

Latin script: a

Slovene: a

West Slavic:

Old Czech: a
Czech: a

Old Polish: a
Polish: a
Silesian: a

Pomeranian:

Kashubian: a

Slovincian: a

Slovak: a

Sorbian:

Upper Sorbian: a

Lower Sorbian: a

Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ā, from Proto-Indo-European *ā, ultimately a natural expression. Compare Lithuanian à, Latin ā, Ancient Greek ἆ (â), Sanskrit अ (a). Although the Proto-Indo-European form is reconstructed, this interjection could arise at any stage.

onomatopoeic

natural expression

Used to express emotions like surprise, pain, displeasure, disapproval; ah!


zing

Something inside of me started a symphony / Zing! Went the strings of my heart

1934, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”, James F. Hanley (music):

(onomatopoeia) A high pitched humming sound.

Zing! The joke had rebounded back on the one who started it. "Ouch!" Mama Jane winced ruefully. We all dissolved in laughter at the good-natured repartee.

2002, Chellie Campbell, The Wealthy Spirit, Sourcebooks, →ISBN, →OL, page 162:

(US, slang) Used to acknowledge a witty comeback, a zinger.


zzz

A snoring sound, implying that somebody is asleep.

chrrr

representing [χː], the usual onomatopoeia, but less common as a spelling; English zzz may also be understood by some

хррр

not used in books; understood, but used less frequently than zzz


zzz

(Internet slang) indicates that one doesn't care about or agree with what is being said


zzz

buzz (sound made by some insects' flight)


zzz

(Internet slang) Indicates that one doesn't care about or agree with what is being said because is boring.


plask

Onomatopoeic, possibly inspired by German platsch and platschen, see also plaske.


ведь

head

ведь • (vedʹ)

Inherited from Old East Slavic вѣдѣ (vědě). Russian ведь (vedʹ) is a former Proto-Indo-European root perfect *wóyde with mediopassive ending -ai, with meaning "I have seen". Cognate with English wit.

inh+

Ведь уже́ по́здно

Ведь он знато́к

Ведь я вам говори́л!


kato

A dialectal or colloquial 2nd person imperative present of katsoa (“to look”). The corresponding infinitive is kattoa.

Se on kato sillä lailla.

Kato nääs! or Kato kato!

Literally: Look, look!. Uttered in surprise, not necessarily telling anyone to look anywhere.

Kato nääs, säkin olet saapunut paikalle.

Lo and behold, you have arrived on the scene, too.

...kato nääs. or ...kato.


jen

Borrowed from German jener and Yiddish יענער (yener). Compare English yon.


tum

(onomatopoeia) crash (to collide with something)


rapaz

From Old Galician-Portuguese rapaz, from Latin rapāx, rapācem (“who robs, plunders”), from rapio (“to grab”).

der

(Brazil) dude!; damn! (said in awe, excitement, surprise, concern, etc.)


enfin

Univerbation of en + fin. Literally, “in the end”.


pli

másin sigur pli


puta

(vulgar, derogatory, colloquial) said in dismay or discontent.


kupla

From Proto-Finnic *kupla, probably from Proto-Finno-Ugric *kupla. Related to Estonian kubel, Southern Sami gåbloe (“lung”), Karelian kupla, Livvi kubl and probably Inari Sami koble (“roe pouch”), Eastern Mari кувыл (kuvyl, “bubbles on the water surface, due to rain”) and Southern Mansi [script needed] (kɛ̮wl-, “to swim, to float”), possibly also Hungarian hólyag (“bladder”).

cog

snap, jinx (used after the same thing is said by two people simultaneously)


eis

From Old Galician-Portuguese eis (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin ixe or isse, non-standard variants of ipse (“himself”) and cognate to Aragonese ex, eix, eis, Old Spanish eje, Catalan eixe, Occitan eis (Old Occitan eps), Old French es, esse.

Eila tes, noviña do trinque

es'aquí mandereita,
e digo que deijemola endeita.

1671, Gabriel Feixoo, Contenda dos labradores de Caldelas:

Here you have my right hand;
I say: let's leave this task.

Labrador:
ò rio, ò rio co'eles.
eis uns a cabalo doutros.

Farmer:
"Let's we throw them to the river."
"Here they are [Watch them], the ones atop the others."


så

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, cognate with English so, German so, Dutch zo.

now, now, come (reassuring, comforting or admonishing)


så

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē. Akin to English so.

used (often with reduplication) to confort or calm

used (often with reduplication) to admonish

Eg er så liten, så!

used after an indicative sentence to intensify


sommer

Why do I have to go to school?
Sommer.

(South Africa) just because; answer to questions (especially "why" questions) that you do not want to answer or don't have a specific answer for.


ofta

Perhaps an ironic reversal of sällan (“seldom, no way”).

– Jag kan gå på händer runt huset. – Ofta.
– I can walk on my hands around the house. – Yeah, right.

Ofta att du kan gå på händer runt huset

Yeah right, as if you can walk on your hands around the house

Ofta! Du klarade det!

(slang) Expresses skepticism or surprise (incredulity).


добра

head

до́бра • (dóbra)

Inherited from Old Ruthenian до́бре (dóbre), from Old Polish dobrze, from Proto-Slavic *dobrě, from *dobrъ.


sæll og blessaður

hello, greetings (greeting a single male person)

sæl og blessuð

to greet a single female person or a mixed male/female group


krá

Compare the imitative Proto-Slavic *grajati.

onomatopoeic

imitative


krá

krá (indefinite nominative singular)
kráið (definite nominative singular)
krá (indefinite nominative plural)
kráini (definite nominative plural)
krá (accusative indefinite singular)
kráið (accusative definite singular)
krá (accusative indefinite plural)
kráini (accusative definite plural)
krá (dative indefinite singular)
krái (dative indefinite singular)
kránum (dative definite singular)
kráum (dative indefinite plural)
kráunum (dative definite plural)
krás (genitive indefinite singular)
krásins (definite genitive singular)
kráa (genitive indefinite plural)
kráanna (definite genitive plural)

From Old Norse krá, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *krēaną (“to crow”). Compare Danish kro sig (“brag”), English crow.


krá

From Old Norse krá, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *krēaną (“to crow”). Cognate with Faroese krá. Related to English crow (noun and verb).

(onomatopoeia) caw (representing the sound of a raven or crow)


krá

imitative

croak (also the people, to shout or speak nonsense)


sæl og blessuð

hello, greetings (greeting a single female person or a mixed male/female group)


sælir og blessaðir

hello, greetings (greeting a group of male people)


svona, svona

Svona, svona, þetta verður allt í lagi. Á ég að hringja á vælubílinn?

There, there, it'll be fine. Should I call the wambulance?

there, there; (Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody or urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying)


sælar og blessaðar

hello, greetings (greeting a group of female people)


hæ

En skjøn tur på Island, hva'? Skjøn tur med mange fisk og mange piger, hæhæ.

2013, Poul Lybæk, Hjertets lyst, BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, page 269:

A nice trip on Iceland, eh? Nice trip with lots of fish and lots of girls, hehe.

Den lille spøg endte med at koste ham hele Sverige, hæhæ! Må han rådne i Helvede.« Lodehat spyttede dybfølt på gulvet.

2009, Kåre Johannessen, Slægten 7: Blodsbånd, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

That little joke ended up costing him all of Sweden, harhar! May he rot in Hell.« Lodehat spit on the floor emphatically.

Men hun har vel sine Øjne andre Steder – Hæhæ! ... Anton spyttede efter ham. – Dit Giftkryb!

2016, Hulda Lütken, Lokesæd, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

But I suppose she has her eyes elsewhere - Haha! ... Anton spit at him. - You venomous creep!

»Men herregud, det bliver vi jo alle [ældre], og hun er stadig, hæhæ, en dejlig pige, ...

1985, Ole Lindboe, Frisk som en havørn og andre sociale noveller:

»But oh well, we all do [age], and she is still, hehe, a lovely girl, ...

(onomatopoeia) Signifies rough, uncouth laughter.


hæ

Borrowed from English hi some time after 1970, possibly also influenced by Danish hej.


hæ

Hæ, hæ og hó, hó! Húsfreyja veit ei hvað ég heiti! Gilitrutt heit ég!

Yippee! The lady does not know my name. Gilitrutt is my name!


hæ

huh; Word expressing doubt or confusion.

Word used to express amusement or subtle surprise.

(informal) used to indicate that one did not hear what was said.


vai

From Proto-Indo-European *way- (“oh!, ah!; woe!, alas!”). Cognates include Lithuanian vái, vaĩ, Old High German wē, Old English wā, Latin vae, German weh, English woe.

inh

vai, ko es daru!

vai, kāds jūs līks izskatāties!

vai, vai, Ilma, vai, tev tikai nauda prātā!

oh come on, Ilma, you only think about money!

used to express emotional responses: excitement, surprise, pain, fear, sorrow, irritation, etc.


vai

Probably an expressive creation. Similar words are found in many other languages, especially Indo-European. Compare Latin vae, Albanian vaj, Italian guai, Sicilian vai, Spanish ay, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), English woe.


vai

oh, (so)... (mainly to start interrogative clauses)


takk fyrir

From takk (“thanks”) + fyrir (“for”), literally meaning “thanks for ...”. Cognate with Icelandic þökk fyrir and Faroese takk fyri, tøkk fyri.

þakka þér fyrir

þakka þér (singular) (literally “(I) thank you”)

þakka yður fyrir

þakka yður (singular, formal; rare) (literally “(I) thank you ...”)

takk fyrir mig

thanks for myself; commonly said to a host for having been received as a guest; both after dining and when departing


tic-tac

Borrowed from French tic-tac or German Ticktack.


ey

Derived from Middle High German ei, a common interjection. In contemporary German possibly reinforced by Turkish ey (“vocative particle”), English hey.

Boah, ey!

Ey Peter, komm mal kucken, was hier auf dem Schild steht!

Hey Peter, check out what this sign here says!

Der unkorrumpierbare Udo Lindenberg, der seinen „Bestes Video national“-Gewinn galant mit „Geilomat, ey“ kommentierte[…]

2016 April 8, Jenni Zylka, quoting Udo Lindenberg, “Echo-Verleihung: Preis, der es jedem recht machen will”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz, →ISSN:

Used to call someone's attention, or as an intensifier when placed at the end.

Ey, lass den Scheiß! So geht man nicht mit anderen Leuten um.

Oi, quit that shit! That is not how you treat other people.


ey

An interjection beginning each strophe in daing songs


ey

English: ay

Scots: ay, ae

Derived from Latin ei and Old French ahi, äi.

An exclamation of surprise, challenge, or inquiry.


ey

Perhaps borrowed from Turkish ey (vocative article).

Ey, mannen, vi gittar!

(slang) Used to call someone's attention.


ey

Ey Türk gençliği! Birinci vazifen, Türk istiklâlini, Türk Cumhuriyeti'ni, ilelebet muhafaza ve müdafaa etmektir.

O Turkish youth! Your first duty is to conserve and to defend forever Turkish independence and the Turkish Republic.


hon

Know Your Meme
Maurice Chevalier
The Local

The laugh probably originated as a parody of French singer and actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) who was noted for his strong accent in English, and does not represent a typical French laugh. The stereotype was popularized in Internet memes in the mid-2000s and 2010s.

Hon hon hon, oui oui baguette!

She's right! We all talk like Maurice Chevalier! Hon hon hon!

1981 June 12, History of the World, Part I, Mel Brooks (actor):

What cinephiles have missed most this spring are the cries of "hon hon hon!" — the bitchy sound of French laughter — bellowing from the Côte d'Azur.

2020 May 28, “The sex scandals, walkouts and boos of Cannes Film Festival”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-08-18:

[Ridley] Scott once said that forcing French accents on the stars of "The Last Duel" would have been "a disaster," but on that count, I beg to differ. Imagine Ben Affleck winding up to crucial lines with a snooty "a-hon-hon-hon!" Now that you have, you won't want to go without.

2023 August 18, Kyle Buchanan, “Uma Thurman’s ’Red, White & Royal Blue’ Accent Is One to Savor”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-09-22:

(humorous) Representing a stereotypical French laugh.


hon

Clipping of come on with devoicing of /m/. Compare c'mon.

“Hon the Banner!” is the single-minded mantra being roared everywhere else.

2013 September 9, Rosita Boland, “Feelings of relief and anti-climax in Ennis car park”, in The Irish Times:

We're not normally impressed by this kind of stuff but h'on the lads! This is pretty good.

2016 August 17, Jennifer Dollard "Seagulls cover Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'" Today FM

To coincide with the film’s release, GQ recently enlisted the actor to take part in a photoshoot in some of Dublin’s most beloved pubs. ... Hon Dublin!

2017 March 16, Amy O'Connor, “GQ did a swanky photoshoot in loads of Dublin pubs with the star of Beauty and the Beast”, in Daily Edge:

22:23 BIRDIE: Lowry (-2) can't find the bottom of the cup with his eagle putt but taps in for birdie. Hon the Offalyman. He's one behind the leaders, McGirt and Hoffman

2017 April 7, Johnny Watterson, John O'Sullivan, “Liveblog: US Masters: Day One”, in The Irish Times:

(Ireland, slang); (typically) cheering a sports team, especially a GAA team; exhortation or encouragement come on; congratulations well done, bravo.


hon

onom

Imitative


greetings

Greetings and salutations. You a Heather?

1989, Daniel Waters, 11:50 from the start, in Michael Lehmann, director, Heathers, spoken by Jason Dean (Christian Slater):

(sometimes formal, sometimes humorous) Hello.


pshaw

Pshaw! I can't believe it!

"Pshaw! Why do ye bother yourself wid texts, man, about so small a matter?" interrupted the landlady

1823, James Fenimore Cooper, “chapter 13”, in The Pioneers:

'Pshaw!' Ralph muttered, forcing a laugh.

1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, chapter 56, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC:

"Have a care, cousin," he whispered; "for the sake of the Virgin have a care, for you have angered him."
"Pshaw! fear not," the other answered in the same low tone.

1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, chapter 22, in The White Company, New York, N.Y., Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC:

Pshaw! And monkeys might fly out of my butt.

Indicating disapproval, scoffery, irritation, impatience or disbelief.

呸

indicating disapproval, scoffery, irritation, impatience or disbelief


passa

(Brazil) shoo!; get away!; clear off! (said to an animal)


fyrirgefðu

The imperative form of the verb [að] fyrirgefa "[to] forgive", (= fyrirgefðu).


okej

Borrowed from English OK (see there for further descendants). Not to be confused with ok (“eight”) or oke (“eighthly”).


okej

Okej, može!


honestly

From Middle English honestly, honestlyche, honestliche, equivalent to honest + -ly.

Honestly! I want to finish this work and you keep interrupting.

Used to express exasperation, dismay, etc.


á

lundin sigur á á á


á

Á, már itt is vagy?

Á, nem hiszem. Ő sose mond ilyet.

Oh, I don't believe it. He/She'll never say such a thing.

oh (expression of dismissiveness, disagreement, or disbelief)


á

Á! Þetta var vont!


á

Icelandic: á


á

Àngkøø̀ maq rvmá chuaòe.
He is ploughing his father-in-law's field.

Àng dvpvt vv́mpà køtnaòe.


á

An expression of sudden pain or uttered under shock.


nota

(Far Masovian) used to encourage cooperation, joint effort; let's get to it!


hin

Expressive; possibly has roots in various ancient interjections, e.g. Latin hem (“eh?, oh!”), hui (“ho!, ooh!”)

(onomatopoeia, colloquial) heh, ooh, hehe!


danke schön

[ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn]


puff

poof (deflating object or a magical disappearance)


puff

Back-formation from puffad, puffant, puffaszt.

bang! pouf! (onomatopoeia representing a sudden sharp noise or crashing sound)


haro

See harrow or haro.
The claim has been made that the word is from Old French haro, harou, from two words, "Ha" and "Rollo", referring to Duke Rollo of Normandy; his name became well known as a cry for justice and was later shortened to "Haro."
-"The Little Duke", Charlotte Young, 1955

(obsolete) An exclamation of distress; alas.

(Channel Islands) A call for help, a demand for protection against harm, or for assistance to arrest an adversary.


haro

Inherited from Middle French haro, from Old French haro, harou, from Frankish *harot, *hara (“here; hither”), akin to Old High German herot (“here; hither”), Old Saxon herod (“here; hither”), Middle Dutch hare (“here”) and English harrow.


abajo

From a (“to”) + bajo (“down”). Cognate to French à bas, which is also used in sense “down with”. Compare English abase.

¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!, ¡Abajo el mal gobierno!

1810 September 16, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Grito de Dolores,:


bè

E lu Signori dizisi a Giona: Credi forsi, chi tu fozzi bè ad arrabbiatti pa la moltra? E dizisi: Bè eju m' arrabbieggiu fin' a la molti.

1866, chapter IV, in Giovanni Spano, transl., La profezia di Giona [Jonah's prophecy] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), London, translation of Profezia di Giona, verse 9, page 15:

And the Lord said to Jonah: "Do you think you're doing good by getting angry becauseof the castor oil plant? And he said: "Well, I will get angry to death."

«Bè, ni vurìmmu sabé di più? Andèmmu a fabiddanni cu me’ ziu chi ni sa assai mégliu di noi. No pai nudda è prèddi!»

2015 May 31, Ignazio Sanna, “La paristhòria di lu santu óssu di lu barracòccu [The fable of the sacred apricot stone]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese:

"Well, if we want to know more, we can go talk about it with my uncle, who knows a lot more than us. He's a priest, after all!"

Used to acknowledge a statement or situation; well, so


bags

Grammatical extension of third-person singular form of bag (“make first claim on something”).

Bags I sit in the front seat!

Used to claim something for oneself, especially in the combination 'Bags I'.


kablooey

REICH: Poetry, literature, stuff like that? / GARCIA: All that, all of that, and on all levels. That was like a continuing thing, but then along came LSD and that was the end of that whole world. The whole world just went kablooey.

1972 January 20, Jann Wenner, Charles A. Reich, Rolling Stone, number 100:

(colloquial) Alternative spelling of kablooie


kablooie

ka-, an intensifier used with onomatopoeia, plus (probably) an imaginative rendition of an explosion or splash.

to go kablooie

it went kablooie

The bottle of ketchup hit the floor and went kablooie all over everything.

(colloquial) A failure, meltdown; or explosion; a splat or splash.


voilà

Lo, there it is; see here; ta-da; presto; behold!


voilà

Unadapted borrowing from French voilà (literally “look there”).

ubor

voilà, there it is; see here; ta-da; presto; behold!


filo

Inherited from Old Spanish filo, inherited from Latin fīlum. Doublet of hilo. Both were inherited, and it is not entirely clear why the two diverged in pronunciation, with filo coming to mean 'edge' and hilo maintaining the Latin sense of 'string, thread'. Perhaps the /f~h/ variation was exploited to create two words with more specialized senses.

(Chile, colloquial) whatever, I don't care


plop

Imitative of the sound, or perhaps a variant of plap.

onom

Imitative

"[A]fter a bit the old ship went down all on a sudden with a lurch to starboard---plop. The suck in was something awful."

1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page xiii. 110:

Indicating the sound of something plopping.


ramen

Borrowed from Japanese ラーメン (rāmen), from Mandarin 拉麵／拉面 (lāmiàn, “pulled noodles”). Doublet of laghman, lamian, and ramyeon.

der

[...] For thine is the colander, the noodle, and the sauce, forever and ever. RAmen.

2005, Mel Sharples, “Prayer In City Council Meetings??”, in ott.general (Usenet):

… For thine are Meatballs, and the beer, and the strippers, for ever and ever. RAmen.

2006, bg1...@apexmail.com, A Pastafarian's prayer, alt.atheism

They will let me wear The Chosen Attire at work, however. Ramen.

2006, Roger Bryant, “Re: Is this all?”, in alt.religion.pastafarianism (Usenet):

No, no, no! Until YOU stand before His Noodliness when you die. And if you do not believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (RAmen brother!) then you will not get to partake of the beer volcanoes, nor enjoy the strippers in Heaven.

2008, Terry, Re: We do not have a 'soul' = an immaterial and immortal piece, alt.agnosticism

YHWH" = tetragrammaton. "FSM" = tetrazziniton. Ramen.

2008, DuhIdiot, Re: Let's sanitize song lyrics by removing references to religious garbage, alt.atheism

May the Fork be with you... RAmen.

2009, JFlexer, MAN PRAYS TO FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER (plus other March 4 FlashNews.com Shorts), alt.gossip.celebrities


naps

Vinski laski kätensä varovaisesti veteen, lähestyi sormet harallaan nahkiaista ja naps!

1963, Yrjö A. Jäntti, Martti Haavio, Suomen sana: kansalliskirjallisuutemme valiolukemisto: Volume 1:

Vinski carefully lowered his hand into the water, approached the lamprey with his fingers open, and yoink!

yoink; sound of something being snatched or grabbed


biff

Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights.

1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Capital Territory, page 10, column 2:

The sound of a person being punched or hit.


pagi

From Malay pagi, from Classical Malay pagi, from Proto-Malayic *pagi.


dayum

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dayum.wav

Respelling of damn to reflect emphatic stress and a Southern US or African American Vernacular drawl, in which the vowel is broken into gliding vowels.

Oh, man, did you see her?! Dayum! She was hella fine!

'Cause girl, you got me like dayum, baby, dayum, baby, dayum

2012, “Dayum, Baby”, in Here's to the Good Times, performed by Florida Georgia Line ft. Sarah Buxton:

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(slang, emphatic) Pronunciation spelling of damn, representing Southern US English.


Erik

The letter "E" in the Swedish spelling alphabet


harumph

Harumph! She is welcome to try, but I'm not going to bother helping.

"Harumph! Well, now, perhaps I spoke too soon, McManus."

1982, Patrick F. McManus, They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?:

An expression of disdain, disbelief, protest, refusal or dismissal.


whoosh

onomatopoeic

imitative

Imitates anything passing by quickly and more or less close.

went over their head
go over someone's head#English

(sarcastic) Indicating that somebody has missed the point (i.e. it went over their head).


halló

From Danish hallo. Taken into use in the 1600s.

hello, good day; a salutation said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence

Halló, við hvern tala ég?

hello, a greeting used when answering the telephone

hello; a call for response if it is not clear if anyone is present or listening, or if a telephone conversation may have been disconnected.


purée

Inherited from Old French puree; feminine past participle of verb purer (“to make pure”), from Late Latin purare (same sense), from Classical Latin purus (“pure”).

Expression of irritation, surprise, or amazement. A euphemism for putain


dismissed

Used to indicate that an interaction is at an end and that the listener should leave.


schol

Compare Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish skål.


nil desperandum

Latin nīl ‘nothing’, dēspērandum, gerund of dēspērāre ‘despair’, as used in Nil desperandum Teucro duce et auspice Teucro ‘no need to despair with Teucer as your leader and Teucer to protect you’, in Horace, Odes

The Pretender's motto upon the colours and standards were, Dieu & mon Droit, "God and my Right:" Nil desperandum Christo duce & auspice Christo, "I ought not to despair, since Christ is my guide and helper:"

1745, Rapin de Thoyras, N. Tindal, The History of England, Volume XXII, London: James and John Knapton, page 407f:


morgen

Berbice Creole Dutch: moroko

Skepi Creole Dutch: murg, mag

→ Lokono: moroko

From Middle Dutch morgen, from Old Dutch morgan, from Proto-West Germanic *morgin, *murgin, from Proto-Germanic *murganaz, from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥Hko (“to blink, twinkle”).
Cognates:
Compare Low German Morgen, German Morgen, West Frisian moarn, English morn, morrow, Danish morgen, Swedish morgon.


sss

"Sss," said the snake.

2017, Brian Fox, The Hollow Rasping of an American Nightmare, page 420:

(onomatopoeia) The hiss of a snake or other reptile.


hela

Variant of ēalā, equivalent to *hē + lā.


hela

Probably from dialectal Arabic هَلَا (halā). Compare also هَلُمَّ (halumma).

مُيُ وَاغُ نِنِ هُزُدُكَانِ ، لِكُغُرِيِلُ هِيْلَ نِنْنِ ،

R. Allen (1946) “Inkishafi—a translation from the Swahili”, in African Studies, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, pages 243–249

Soul, why not awake? Hi! what is it that cheats you?

Moyo wangu nini huzundukani, likughuriyelo hela ni-n'ni?


yeah, right

yeah right

antonym(s) of “Correct, affirmative, yes”

[jɛə̯˥˨ ɹaɪt˥˩]

[jæə̯˥˨ ɹaɪt˥˩]

[jɛə̯˥˧(.)ɹaɪt˥˧]

[jæə̯˥˧(.)ɹaɪt˥˧]

Your dog ate your homework? Yeah, right.

(colloquial, sarcastic) Expresses disbelief.

“You were watching the front.”
“Oh yeah, right. So I'm watching the front, and I hear this commotion upstairs. So as I'm looking up, something catches my eye.”

2007, Matthew B.J. Delaney, Jinn: A Novel:

(colloquial, literally) Correct; affirmative; yes; yes, that is correct.


ploop

Imitative; compare the more common plop.

onom

Imitative

The pebbles went ploop and sunk to the bottom of the pond.

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a small object falling into liquid.


Happy Thanksgiving

(US, Canada) The greeting said near the holiday Thanksgiving.


gulp

From Middle English gulpen, probably from West Flemish or Middle Dutch gulpen, golpen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps of imitative origin, or related to Dutch galpen (“to roar, squeal”), English galp, gaup (“to gape”).
Related to German Low German gulpen (“to gush out, belch, gulp”), West Frisian gjalpe, gjalpje, gjealpje (“to gush, spurt forth”), Danish gulpe, gylpe (“to gulp up, disgorge”), dialectal Swedish glapa (“to gulp down”), Old English galpettan (“to gulp down, eat greedily, devour”). More at galp.

onomatopoeic

imitative

cog

"Honey, I know you want to go to their home next week, but there's one thing that keeps happening when we're together that really drives me away from social gatherings in general. (Oh, what is it … gulp.) Well, I'm not sure I can really explain it without offending you. (Gulp, gulp.) Do you really want to talk about it? (Yes.) […]"

1982, Gary Smalley, If Only He Knew, page 163:

I wonder: if it had not been for GCN, would I now be the one who settles for the semi-closeted, factionalized world that Bay Windows and its ilk define as Shangri-la? Perhaps. What is certain, however, is that you have never jettisoned concern fror anybody for the sake of popularity and (gulp) assimilationist marketability.

1990 December 9, Ed Fendor, “The Promised Land”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 21, page 4:

An indication of (the sound of) an involuntary fear reaction in the form of a swallowing motion.


skit

From Old Norse skítr, from Proto-Germanic *skītaz, *skitiz. Cognate with Danish skid, Icelandic skítur, Dutch schijt, German Scheiße and English shit.

Det kommer regna. Skit också!

Jävla skit!

(colloquial, vulgar, sometimes followed by också) shit, damnit


огонь

head

ого́нь • (ogónʹ)

Inherited from Old East Slavic огнь (ognĭ), from Proto-Slavic *ogňь, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *ugnis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis. Cognate with Latvian uguns, Latin ignis (whence English ignition and igneous, Latin borrowings), Sanskrit अग्नि (agní), Albanian e enjte. Compare also Hittite 𒀀𒀝𒉌𒅖 (a-ak-ni-iš), an Indo-Aryan borrowing. Doublet of Агни (Agni).
The second o-letter is not from an ъ-extra-short sound, but has the same origin as in extra sounds in у́голь (úgolʹ) and во́семь (vósemʹ). Because of it, the original stress was not ого́нь, but о́гонь. Anyway, the original stress today is probably not preserved in any dialect.

inh+

Fire! (command issued to order people to shoot)


sry

(text messaging, Internet slang) Abbreviation of sorry.


look you

For there is no toubt put the tevil, when Owen Thomas saw him, must have peen sitting on a piece of rock in a straight line from him on the other side of the river, where he used to sit, look you, for a whole summer's tay, while Hugh Llwyd was on his pulpit, and there they used to talk across the water!

1815, Thomas Love Peacock, Headlong Hall:


lele

Onomatopoeic, from the sound of wailing.

Used to express pain or woe, usually in the collocation kuku lele; ouch, alas


break a leg

Unknown; many unproven and widely debated theories exist. One of the most plausible is that it comes from Yiddish הצלחה און ברכה (hatslokhe un brokhe, “success and blessing”) through the heavy Ashkenazi Jewish influence in the American theater, via the misinterpretation in German as Hals- und Beinbruch (“neck and leg fracture”). The Yiddish phrase itself comes from Hebrew הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה (hatzlakhá u-v'rakhá, “success and blessing”). Another possible origin was to wish opposite luck on the performer so as not to jinx the statement.

der

הצלחה און ברכה

הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה

Go out there and break a leg tonight. Put on a great show!

I told my friend to break a leg, before she went on stage.

(idiomatic) Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

molta merda!

expression of best wishes to a performer


for crying out loud

Oh, for crying out loud, get off the computer! You've been on there for ages!

'I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud!'

1997 June 26, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], chapter IV, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter; 1), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN:

Waldo739 asks a "what would you do?" question: "So it's August 31st, 1939, and you are Captain Gustav Kleikamp" - I think - "standing on the bridge wing of SMS" - oh, for crying out loud - "SMS Schleswig-Holstein, drinking a cup of tea[…]"

2020 May 3, Drachinifel, 37:29 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 092, archived from the original on 2022-10-01:

(idiomatic, colloquial) Used to express frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.

verflixt und zugenäht

moderated or minced versions of for Christ's sake or similarly used instead


дон

dong, bong (sound of a large bell ringing)


дон

Borrowed from Chechen дӏон (dˀon), abbreviated form of Chechen дуй хьуна (duj ḥʳuna).

(Chechnya, colloquial) so, anyway, well, yeah (used as a filler word or for emphasis)


sus

used as an expression of anger, frustration or disbelief


sus

Sus siunatkoon!

oh; used only in the expression shown in the example below


sus

come on! (inducing courage or willpower)


sus

From Old Spanish sus, apocopic form of suso.


sus

From a minced oath clipping of Hesus, from Spanish Jesús.


get up the yard

The earliest usage may be traced to a primary school in Dublin, Ireland. Initially, in the 1960s, the phrase meant what it literally denoted: it was a command to get up the yard, the school yard at St. Pius X National School in Templeogue, Dublin. Older pupils appointed as wardens would shout at children to "get up the yard", away from the road.

(idiomatic, Dublin) Nonsense! I don't believe you.


HF

(text messaging) Abbreviation of have fun.


Marco

From Marco Polo, from Latin Marcus Paulus, from Marcus.

Shouted by a player of the game Marco Polo. Compare Polo.


ありがとう

arigatō (romanization)
arigatau (romanization)
ありがたう (hiragana historical)

Chinese:

→ Hakka: 阿里加多 (à-li-ka-tó)

English: arigato

[a̠ɾʲiɡa̠to̞ː]

[a̠˨ɾi˦ɡ̃a̠˨to̞ː˨˨]

[a̠˨ɾi˦ɡ̃a̠˦to̞ː˨˨]

[a̠˨ɾi˨ɡ̃a̠˨to̞ː˦˨]

[a̠˨ɾi˨ɡ̃a̠˨to̞ː˦˦]

Phonetic shift: /ariɡataku/ → /ariɡatau/ → /ariɡatoː/.
From ありがたく (arigataku), the adverbial form of Old Japanese and Classical Japanese adjective ありがたし (arigatashi, modern ありがたい arigatai, “grateful, thankful; welcome”), from 有り (ari, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, continuative or stem form) of verb 有る aru, “to exist, to be”) + 難し (katashi, “hard, difficult”, 難い katai in modern Japanese). The katashi changes to gatashi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).
Modern Japanese -i adjectives formerly ended in -ki for the attributive form. This medial /k/ dropped out during the Muromachi period, both for the attributive form (-ki becoming -i) and for the adverbial form (-ku becoming -u). However, the adverbial form reverted back to -ku thereafter for most words, with the -u ending persisting in certain everyday set expressions, such as arigatō, おはよう (ohayō), or おめでとう (omedetō), and in hyper-formal speech.
Arigatashi is first attested in the oldest literature of the 8th century. It originally meant “difficult to exist, hard to be”, shifting to “rare, special”, and then to “welcome, thankful, nice to have” by some time in the 15th century. This sense is still in use:
: この天(てん)気(き)はありがたいね。 ― Kono tenki wa arigatai ne. ― This weather sure is welcome (lit. This weather sure is hard to come by).
The similarity to Portuguese obrigado (“thank you”) is purely coincidental; the Portuguese first arrived in Japan in 1543, well over a century after citations expressing gratitude are found.

compound

<i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">難い</i> katai in modern Japanese

furigana

この天%気はありがたいね。

^この てん%き は ありがたい ね。

この天(てん)気(き)はありがたいね。

xlit

^この てん%き は ありがたい ね。

ja-usex-inline

この天%気はありがたいね。

^この てん%き は ありがたい ね。

an expression of thankfulness: thank you

Daijirin
Daijisen
Muromachi period
ja:松村明


여보세요

From 여기 (yeogi) + 보다 (boda) + 세요 (seyo), literally “look here”.

hello (when asking or answering the telephone)

hello (when trying to get the attention of someone who does not appear to be listening)


goodo

“Now we′re cooking! It works!” crowed Bob. “And now before it grows dark let′s pour it off into our storage tanks.”
“Goodo, Bob. We rich now!” Ebony gloated.

1957, Horace Sawyer Mazet, Shark Fishing off the Great Barrier Reef, page 61:

“Goodo,” Picnic said, blinking. “Man, look at the quail.”

1984, Thomas Pynchon, Slow Learner: Early Stories, published 1995, page 40:

Some bantering responses joked about whether David May was connected to Brian May, and the rock group Queen, but most expressed a sense of relief that anyone was willing to come to the small-town, economically struggling club. Jo Tomlinson: ‘Goodo, a signing! Even though we did boo him last year...’

2004, David L. Andrews, Manchester United: A Thematic Study, page 203:

John held both my hands tightly, looking straight into my eyes for several moments. His eyes moistened, “I don′t know how to thank you – it′s been quite a spell since my Janeie has been happy.” Bob gleefully joined in, “Goodo Sport!...Goodo!”

2009, George W. Adams, Under the Southern Cross, page 111:

‘I have a sore elbow...’ I fib in a small whine, as I know she worries sometimes when I have too many nightmares.
‘Goodo. Well, let me “tiss” it better,’ she whispers back, so as not to wake Dad from his heavy, snoring slumber, and with her eyes still closed—as the surrounding bush continues to coo its soft night noises through her open bedroom window—she reaches out, finds my proffered elbow, and applies a kiss.

2010, Peter FitzSimons, A Simpler Time, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, slang) Good; used to show approval or satisfaction.


over and out

(procedure word, idiomatic) Used in films and TV to signal the end of a conversation, especially one conducted by CB radio or the like.


chucha

Unknown. May be related to Italian ciucciare and Portuguese chuchar.

(vulgar, slang, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Panama) fuck!


sku

Contraction of the phrase så gud hjelpe meg, as are also Danish sgu and sågu.


putz

Putz, meu carro quebrou.

(slang) used to emphasize something that has gone wrong


cara

From Old Galician-Portuguese cara, from Late Latin or Vulgar Latin cara, from Ancient Greek κάρα (kára, “head, face”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱrh₂esn.


yoohoo

Yoohoo! I think you dropped this.

Xavier's Father: Son, it was you who killed me.
Xavier (Vernon Chatman): What kind of stupid name is "Yoohoo"? Well, when I find that demon, I shall slay him -- to death! Yoohoo! Yoohoo!

2007, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 10:


sondern

From Middle High German sunder, from Old High German suntar, from Proto-Germanic *sundraz (“isolated, particular, alone”).

der

Naja, ganz so ist es ja auch nicht! — Sondern?

Well, it’s not quite like that! — Then what?


holy Toledo

The city of Toledo in Spain (after which the city in Ohio was later named) was the center of Christianity in Spain in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and its Archbishop was and still is the Primate of Spain.
Phrase later made popular by the late Oakland A's and Raiders sportscaster Bill King.

An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.


well, well

Well, well. What have we here?

(with sarcasm) Well, well. Look who's back. And they said we'd never see him again.

Wel, wel (Meander) thou art deepely read:
And hauing thee, I haue a iewell ſure:
Go on my Lord, and giue your charge I ſay,
Thy wit wil make vs Conquerors to day.

c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

Well, well, we must bide our time. Life isn't all beer and skittles; […]

1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:

well, well, well
well, well, well#English

(current in UK, but dated in the US and Canada) Synonym of well, well, well

current in UK; but dated in the US and Canada; current in UK; but dated in the US and Canada


ザーザー

ja-pos

ザーザー • (zāzā)


plonk

The sound made by something solid landing.

(Internet) The supposed sound of adding a user to one's killfile.


nå

Possibly originally an unstressed variant of nu (“now”). Compare also German na (“well, oh”)


nå

well? (encouragement to actually provide an answer or reaction to a question)

Nå, vi kan alltid gå istället.

well (used to acknowledge a statement or situation)


trick or treat

1987, Kai Hansen, "Halloween", Helloween, Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part 1.
Meet the others at the store, / Knock on other people's door / Trick or treat they have no choice, / Little ghost's are makin' lotsa noise

A form of a light-hearted request by which children obtain candy on Halloween while wearing themed costumes.

不給糖就搗亂

a request for candy tied to an unstated light-hearted threat

(in translated movies, TV series etc.) Süßes oder Saures


goo goo ga ga

/ˈɡuː ɡuː ˈɡɑː ɡɑː/

Onomatopoeic. Compare goo-goo and ga-ga.

And the parents go, "Goo-goo, ga-ga, goo-goo, ga-ga."

1998, Ramtha, The Children's View of Destiny and Purpose:

If goo-goo, ga-ga is as foreign to you as a radio broadcast from Ouagadougou, try this definition of “baby talk”: It’s talk directed to your baby, concerning her care.

2001, Jessica Teich, Brandel France de Bravo, Trees Make the Best Mobiles http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0312303254&id=FQUZ_k9XDlEC&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&sig=ky1XZrdpv_cTMLtudr13_fWgbP0

Their attempts to return to the primitive Church structure have invariably been every bit as inauthentic as an older child’s attempt to imitate a baby by shaking a rattle and shouting “goo goo ga ga!”

2002, Griff L Ruby, The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0595250181&id=WSh0mrdmpdAC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&sig=97Ax7J0NI3EAHp0dmf-64eNPRu8

I get Denise’s bag while she, my wife and ex-wife all make goo-goo ga-ga noises over Denise’s half-sister, now almost two years old.

2004, Jack Canfield et al., Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1558746994&id=01iodvG1vJ8C&pg=PA305&lpg=PA305&sig=9wHRKQDgQR9_yrYt71F6BvFFPx8

2005, Mort Walker, Conversations, Jason Whiton ed. http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1578067006&id=AAh66NT6WsgC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&sig=_N8Z0cIlWYHTC8TXZoXDddvtg_g
But I had read something by Sinclair Lewis many years ago, and there was one page where some guy was looking down in the baby carriage going ‘Goo goo ga ga’ and the baby was thinking adult thoughts like ‘Ah, the stupid guy. What’s the matter, can’t he talk straight?’

(childish) Onomatopoeic imitation of the sound of a baby who has not yet learned to speak.


m'kay

Nasalized variant of okay. Perhaps popularized by Mr. Mackey's catchphrase in South Park; earlier, apparently chiefly in linguistic transcriptions of speech.

In these tutoring sessions we have found that, when the tutor agrees with the student’s displayed understanding, her signal of confirmation comes quickly after the student’s turn, as in:
S. Mkay.
hh. And I know it’s negative, just to follow your thought process, because I know that the sine is positive.

1991, Barbara A. Fox, “Cognitive and Interactional Aspects of Correction in Tutoring,” in Teaching Knowledge and Intelligent Tutoring, Peter Goodyear ed. http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=I36Zzj7B7pgC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&sig=ZZYBrtCu62xusRHVxW0AAjsisuQ

… the director would go on only when both were satisfied the matcher had understood, as here:
D. The long view of the quad uh walkway
M. those
M. ┌ numbers right?
D. └ is number 5
M. Mkay
D. Yeah with the numbers on the bottom.

1993, Herbert H Clark, Arenas of Language Use http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=iRlL1nmsB-4C&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&sig=MzayaXWqjqReOg6XyNY2ES7Ycn4

1995, Charles Conrad and Lucinda Sinclair-James, “Institutional Pressures, Cultural Constraints, and Communication in Community Mediation Organizations,” in Conflict and Organizations, Anne Maydan Nicotera ed.
M1: Mkay. Let me point us back to. This is related to um what we were talking about and how you’re going to um sort of report what happened here tonight.

My bold, Crocodile Hunter “Absolutely” withered into “mkay” with the end of the word lilted up like a desperate question.

2004, Gordon Atkinson, RealLivePreacher.com http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=txlWQXzOIukC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&sig=xzYsGkjZNOFHeKU7vnfoysmeOH0

That has nothing to do with star-power crap and everything to do with keeping it real, mkay?

2004, Deanna Kizis, How to Meet Cute Boys http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=QAu5foUdyEkC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&sig=oNcYAAFSGryL3NbegfxWLHkDy8M

(informal) Okay; an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense.

C: I want you to re:st (.) re:st (.) as much as you can do (.) is just re:st (.) hhh when >you go< home (.) >you tell< your husband you make dinner honey (.) hhh you take care of me (.) . . . I need >to set< down (.) I need >to rest< (.)
P: mmkay (.)
C: and >get down< (.) watch your sodium (.) the salt=

1997: Christina S. Beck, Partnership for Health (dead link)

well i used to have some skilled sticky fingers of my own back in the day so i know a shoplifted dress when i see one mmkay.

I looked back to him...mmkay brown hair dark eyes...high cheek bones that lucky monkey I wonder if he has some native American.

2005, Catherine Delaney, The Rosameorns (dead link)

She was sitting perched on her desk, in that nonchalant, ‘mmkay?’ way teachers do when they’re trying to pretend they’re down with the kids.

2005, Jenny Colgan, Boy I Loved Before (dead link)

1999, “It's Easy, MMMKay.” [title, in soundtrack] South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Let’s get all this straight. He took me to a place he hates to see if I like it. Mmmkay.

2004, Victoria Schmitz, If It’s Not One Thing It’s the Other http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=lFcLqmFytiMC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&sig=H_Qm7nTzqEzS470vfocV9c74reI

2004, Stephanie Lehmann, Are You in the Mood http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ECabx9_RoXAC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&sig=pW9_uvNdBOBHc__4hwhYzAfhRWs
He told her she could sleep in if she liked. “Mmmkay,” she said without opening her eyes, and he kissed her good-bye.

I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anybody, not even the missus, m’kay?

1999, Tom Bradley, Black Class Cur http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=Fdo3ky2yq-sC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&sig=PGLARdInWR86z9kI3MQaQKe5G9s

But do keep in mind that this film [viz. South Park] is not for the faint of heart, and it ain’t for kids, m’kay?

2003, Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan, The Digital Bits: Insider’s Guide to DVD http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ZPvgA1QU1BMC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&sig=hJv3zSuA9sriREBxGXxi7ZevcuQ

She didn’t ask what that was supposed to mean, but tallied a while on her fingertips and obliged him.
“Mm-kay, bye.”

2000, Tom Bradley, Hustling the East http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=GYnGE49yhPsC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&sig=JIS7zjR3YOAzjIW-jrKuyOrxpQM

2005, Bill Eisele, Scrub Match http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=7M31jHxhJawC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&sig=no7YkuHLZazkBAuC0ztcd6i9AJI
“All I’m saying,” the Asian man said, “is it’s about time she got a whiff of her own breath. Mm-kay?”

“Well, I’m going to take a picture of your arm and then this nice doctor is going to fix it for you, okay?”
“Mmm-kay.”

2005, Michael Collins, Hot Lights, Cold Steel:


bully

From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy.
The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.

onomatopoeic

expressive

Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!

Bully! Bully! Finis coronet opus, “the end crowns all”; “may the last be the best!” By Godfrey it was delightful.

1979, Jerome Alden, Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt, →OCLC, page 3:


OMFG

The messages also show the reaction of Hancock and Coladangelo to a video obtained by the Sun. “OMFG,” Coladangelo said.

2023 March 4, Hayden Vernon, quoting Gina Coladangelo, “New leaked messages show Matt Hancock’s reaction to footage of him kissing aide”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(Internet slang, blasphemous, vulgar) Initialism of oh my fucking God.


laters

Ellipsis of see you later + -s (hypocoristic suffix) (compare toodles and bye-byes).

But all she says is “Ring us if you want to go out this week. Laters!” and puts the phone down.

2001, Anna Maxted, Getting Over It http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=658ZQCdB-e4C&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&sig=QA1HWuIr72BLnEhEh_2n8VhPwD0

‘Shanks,’ says Trevor into his mobile, ‘we just gone down a snake. I’ll see ya tomorrow, laters.’

2004, J J Connolly, Layer Cake http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=moH7-dVMlLcC&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&sig=C8ip3JP1HZSFuqfBjRDvXJEYmFM

You know where the money is and how much. Tell him the usual. Yep. Laters.

2004, Thomas Neradin, Last Train http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=-wcHR-WlhXkC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&sig=4_asKYcTxPOHVinOI5NvJ_9LEMY

(slang) see you later; an expression used at parting.


शुक्रिया

hi-interj

शुक्रिया • (śukriyā) (Urdu spelling شکریہ)

/ʃʊk.ɾɪ.jɑː/

Borrowed from Classical Persian شُکْرِیَّه (šukriyya), from Arabic شُكْرِيَّة (šukriyya, “thanking”), from شَكَرَ (šakara, “to thank”). Compare Bengali শুকরিয়া (śukriẏa), Dhivehi ޝުކުރިއްޔާ (šukuriyyā), Urdu شُکْرِیَہ (śukriya), Punjabi ਸ਼ੁਕਰੀਆ (śukrīā)/شُکْرِیَہ (śukriyah).


gramercy

/ɡɹəˈmɜː.si/

From Middle English gramerci, from Old French grant merci (“great thanks”).

Gramércy, liegé King, / This is to me a comforting: / I tell you sickerly / For to have land or lede / Or other riches, so God me speed, / It is too much for me.

[late 14th – early 15th century, “Transition English: From the Conquest to Chaucer.—a.d. 1666 to a.d. 1352 [Sir Cleges.]”, in Henry Morley, editor, Shorter English Poems (Cassell’s Library of English Literature), London, Paris: Cassell & Company, […], published c. 1870s, →OCLC, page 28, column 2, lines 409–412:

"Gramercy! good fellow," cried Prince John, "thou pleasest me—Here, Isaac, lend me a handful of byzants."

1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter VIII, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 155:

(archaic) Used as an expression of gratitude: thanks; many thanks.

(archaic) Used as an exclamation expressing surprise or sudden strong feelings.


धन्यवाद

hi-interj

धन्यवाद • (dhanyavād) (Urdu spelling دھنیہ واد)

dhanyavād (romanization)
دھنیہ واد (Urdu)

/d̪ʱən.jə.ʋɑːd̪/

[d̪ʱɐ̃ɲ.jɐ.ʋäːd̪]

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit धन्यवाद (dhanyavāda).


धन्यवाद

[d̪ʱʌ̤nːebäd̪]


धन्यवाद

desc

→ Assamese: ধন্যবাদ (dhoinnobad) (learned)

→ Bengali: ধন্যবাদ (dhonnobad) (learned)

→ Bhojpuri: 𑂡𑂢𑂹𑂨𑂥𑂰𑂠 (dhanyabād) (learned)

→ Gujarati: ધન્યવાદ (dhanyavād) (learned)

→ Hindustani:

→ Hindi: धन्यवाद (dhanyavād) (learned)

→ Urdu: دھنیہ واد (dhanya-vād) (learned)

→ Kannada: ಧನ್ಯವಾದ (dhanyavāda) (learned)

→ Marathi: धन्यवाद (dhanyavād) (learned)

→ Nepali: धन्यवाद (dhanyavād) (learned)

→ Odia: ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ୍ (dhanyabād) (learned)

→ Punjabi: ਧੰਨਵਾਦ (dhannvād) (learned)

→ Sylheti: ꠗꠁꠘ꠆ꠘꠛꠣꠖ (dóinnobad) (learned)

→ Telugu: ధన్యవాదాల (dhanyavādāla) (learned)

/d̪ʱɐn̪.jɐˈʋɑː.d̪ɐ/

Compound of धन्य (dhanya, “good, happy”) + वाद (vāda, “reply, result”).


sæl

hi, hello (to a female or a mixed male/female group)


kare

From kú + àre (“vindication”), literally “greetings on being provided vindicated or justice in one's work or actions”.


but hey

Streaming a movie prevents any but the most dedicated and well-equipped hacker from making a digital copy (pointing a camera at the screen still works, but hey).

2003, S. Gulie, Quicktime for the Web, Morgan Kaufmann, page 136:

I am pretty sure it's another computer glitch, but hey, it's not my fault and it's perfectly legal.

2004, R. Broadhead, Dear Valued Customer, You Are A Loser, Andrews McMeel Publishing, page 89:

By that time they had navigated about 120 miles of the Green River, almost twice their planned run for the day—but hey, time flies when you're having fun.

2007, Jim Burnett, Hey Ranger 2: More True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from the Great Outdoors, page 101:

Used to show that the thing just referred to is not ideal or does not support the argument, but that the situation cannot be improved upon, or the speaker is unwilling to try.


whammo

So, I'm driving along when, whammo, a tree falls in front of the car.

"Sure, the boys say, 'What's the use? I'd just get started and whammo, I'm gone.'"

1951 November 5, “The Younger Generation”, in Time Magazine:

Every year I try to catch the first buds as they break out of their winter closets, and every year I miss. One day you hit the street on your way to your day's routine and there it is, whammo, LIFE, popping up and out all over the place.

1983 April 16, Nancy Walker, “Spring Surprises”, in Gay Community News, page 6:

He lifted one foot and set it down again, whammo, but Ed was so engrossed in Pynchon's novel that all he recalls is tromping the scorpion to death with his stung foot, then quickly fetching a bucket of ice water, jamming the foot into it, and continuing to read.

1988, David Quammen, The Flight of the Iguana:

(informal) Used to emphasize the suddenness of an event.


mhm

Nasalized form of uh-huh, a form imitative of non-verbal sounds.

Shows agreements or allows the speaker to continue talking.


aizu

hey, listen (an exclamation to get attention)


nata

Coordinate term: (singular) na

(Far Masovian, to a group of people) take it! here!


goody

Oh goody, ice cream!

(informal) Used to indicate pleasure or delight.


aite

Aite then! After the game we will rap about getting you down to the gym so we can work.

2018, DeMarcus Rogers, Chasing Faith, page 100:

I was like Aite, fasho, putting my hands up.

2022, Sean Thor Conroe, Fuccboi, Hachette, →ISBN:


naku

Univerbation of ina (“mother”) + ko (“my”).

univ

an exclamation expressing surprise, wonder, fear, pain, etc.: oh my; my goodness


אבוי

he-interj

אֲבוֹי • (avóy)

אבוי לרועה הצאן שינטוש את כבשיו

Woe to the shepherd who abandons his sheep.

לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי, לְמִי מדונים (מִדְיָנִים). לְמִי שִׂיחַ, לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם; לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם? לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־ הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ.

Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? Who hath contentions? who hath raving? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to try mixed wine.


cool beans

Cheech: “Hey man, look at this car made out of weed!” / Chong: “Oh cool beans, man!”

1978, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Up in Smoke, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong) (actors), Los Angeles, Calif.: Paramount Home Video, →OCLC:

‘It’s cool beans!’ That’s what Betsy always says when she thinks something is fantastic, and I couldn’t help wondering what she’d say if she could see me now.

1985, Marlene Fanta Shyer, Grandpa Ritz and the Luscious Lovelies, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, page 30:

(childish) A humorous and lighthearted nonsense phrase indicating approval or mild excitement: great, wow.


whoops-a-daisy

(informal) Used to acknowledge a mistake.


nudge nudge wink wink

/ˈnʌdʒ nʌdʒ ˌwɪŋk wɪŋk/

Suggests that the speaker is nudging, and winking at, the person to whom the term is directed. Popularized by the Monty Python sketch "Candid Photography" (better known as Nudge Nudge).

The Opposition is so insensitive to the South Island that it gets a North Island member to move a private member's Bill about a South Island issue. […] The Bill represents a broken half-promise—"nudge, nudge, wink, wink"—by the Leader of the Opposition in Timaru only a short time ago. […] So down [to the South Island] he goes—"nudge, nudge, wink, wink". They let him out of the closet for a while to go down to talk to some South Islanders and he told them they would get 25 percent and 10 percent. Now there is a Bill from a North Island Opposition member, the member for New Plymouth—a Bill that backs off from that promise in the space of a couple of weeks.

1985 June 7, Michael John Cullen, “Electricity (South Island Concession) Amendment Bill”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 1985: House of Representatives, volume 462 (Comprising the Period from 22 March to 7 June 1985), Wellington, N.Z.: V. R. Ward, Government Printer, →OCLC, page 4609:

Toby Miller, a professor at New York University, commented on [actress Drew] Barrymore's attitude: "She seems to be saying, 'I see no reason to hide my sexuality, my body—I want to celebrate it' … And all the women I know, even those who thought such a spectacle was tragic in the Seventies, love it. It's a nudge-nudge, wink-wink parody."

2007, Rikke Schubart, “High Trash: Lara, Beatrix, and Three Angels”, in Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970–2006, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 300:

Sally unlocked her tiny cubicle and found herself feeling quite nostalgic. No more early mornings on the number 13 bus to work. No more Geordie and his nudge nudge, wink wink greetings; from next month she would be a professional actress, working in repertory.

2014, Lynda Bellingham, chapter 2, in The Boy I Love, London: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, humorous, also attributive) A phrase used to hint that the speaker is euphemistically referring to something else.


erm

She was going to, erm... the salon, I think.

(UK) Used in hesitant speech, or to express uncertainty; um, umm.

Erm, I don't think that was supposed to happen.

– Bob would never say something like that!
– Erm, he just did.

(UK) Used to express embarrassment or subtle disagreement.


pfui

From German pfui, also the source of phooey.

'Pfui!' The captain spat. 'I've never met such a dumb sailor as you. So where do you think the old moon goes?'

1981, Charles H. Kahn, The Art and Thought of Heraclitus, →ISBN:

She liked Arschlochweh and adored Improvisation; but the Anatomiestunde and the bending and stretching she did not like. "Pfui!" she was disgusted, lifting her shoulders and spreading her hands like the Mandarin, "pfui! the old body!'

1993, Samuel Beckett, Eoin O'Brien, Edith Fournier, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, →ISBN, page 14:

He comes barging in here as if the place belonged to him. And intoxicated . . . pfui! . . . the disgusting pig!

2008, Christopher Isherwood, The Berlin Stories, →ISBN, page 175:

an exclamation indicating disagreement or rejection of an argument; contempt


pfui

phooey

From Middle High German pfui, phiu, probably imitative of spitting out.

onomatopoeic

imitative

an exclamation of disgust, aversion, dislike, contempt, or annoyance


erk

(colloquial) An expression of trepidation; eek.

‘Gawd, erk!’ She recoiled and turned away.

1959, D'Arcy Niland, The Big Smoke, page 43:

‘Erk! What’s that big ugly growth you’ve got?’

1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, page 29:

(Australia, colloquial) An expression of revulsion or disgust; yuck.


malum

Erotium: Certo, tibi et parasito tuo.

c. 200 BCE, Plautus, Menaechmi 2.3.389.390

Certainly you did, for yourself and your parasite."
"For whom? Fuck, parasite? Surely this woman isn't quite right in her senses.

Sosicles: Quoi, malum, parasito? Certo haec mulier non sana est satis.


asa

Borrowed from Sanskrit आशा (āśā). Compare Bikol Central asa, Malay asa, and Tamil ஆசை (ācai).


isu

Possibly from Proto-Austronesian *i and Proto-Austronesian *su. Compare Pangasinan so.

A: Napanen isuda.
B: Ay isu?
A: They already went.
B: Really?

(informal) Indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information; to express skepticism; really


vae

Old French: vé

Romanian: vai

Sicilian: vai

From Proto-Indo-European *wáy. Cognate with Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai).

Vae victīs!

Vae, putō deus fīō.


ops

exclamation


ops

exclamation


ops

used to tell someone to refrain from doing something or continuing to do something: not so fast!


Wilma

A substitute for wilco when used for the phonetic W.


hullo

There he is, now. Bang went the front door open and shut. Harry shouted: “Hullo, you people. Down in five minutes.”

1918 August, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Bliss”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 126:

“Mr Wooster?” “Oh, hullo, Lady Wickham.”
[...] “Hullo, Bobbie,” I said. “Hullo, Bertie,” she said. “Hullo, Upjohn,” I said. The correct response to this would have been “Hullo, Wooster”, but he blew up in his lines and merely made a noise like a wolf with its big toe caught in a trap.
[...] But as I approached the [telephone] and unhooked the thing you unhook, I was far from being at my most nonchalant, and when I heard Upjohn are-you-there-ing at the other end my manly spirit definitely blew a fuse. For I could tell by his voice that he was in the testiest of moods. Not even when conferring with me at Malvern House, Bramley-on-Sea, on the occasion when I put sherbet in the ink, had I sensed in him a more marked stirred-up-ness. “Hullo? Hullo? Hullo? Are you there? Will you kindly answer me? This is Mr Upjohn speaking.”

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “II, XV, AND XIX”, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

(UK, New Zealand) Alternative form of hello (Greeting.)

Suddenly Sydney gave an exclamation. ‘Hullo! — The front door’s closed!’

"Hullo, there's a monkey's wedding," said my wife's niece, a girl of about twenty, born in South Africa […] She was looking out on the lawn, and it was one of those lovely April mornings with sunshine and rain alternating[…]

1939, Country Life, volume 85, page 290:

(UK, dated, New Zealand) Alternative form of hello (expressing puzzlement or discovery)


oe

Oe, pi mana?


oe

(Internet slang, text messaging) yeah, yh


ej

ej ti, ku shkon?

éei pǽr chíjr tǽ chríxtit Zótit tínæ

1592, Luca Matranga, chapter 2, in E Mbësuame e Krështerë [The Albanian Christian Doctrine], page 8, lines 10–11:


ej

Ej, hvor er den nuttet!

Ej, det mener du ikke!

(colloquial) used to express surprise, irritation, reproach, annoyance and other emotions


ej

indicates anger, like when telling someone off


ej

(informal) used to call someone's attention; hey


ej

From hej through elision of the voiceless glottal fricative (h-dropping).

(informal) Used to call someone's attention; hey!, oi!


Kobe

Dave Chappelle
Kobe
Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan
NBA

After NBA player Kobe Bryant, emulating an earlier use of the name of Michael Jordan. Popularized by Dave Chappelle in a 2004 sketch. Kobe Bryant's parent named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.

(throws aforementioned paper cup at Russell Byrd– hits Byrd in the head) KOBE!
[…]
Derrick Nix: Are you serious? You threw a crumpled paper cup at his head, hit him, and then yelled “Kobe!”

2012 January 18, The Black Sheep, volume 6, number 2, Michigan State University, published 2012 January 17, page 7:

Miguel: When you write a bad draft of your Signal article, there’s only one thing to do to it — smash it up into a ball, throw it to the nearest recycle bin and scream “KOBE!”

2016 April 20, The Signal, volume XLIV, number 2, The College of New Jersey, published 2016 April 19, page 27:

As I spend 10 minutes debating what to order, a kid nearby entertains himself by squirting free edamame beans across the restaurant. I try the same, saying “Kobe!” as I shoot one in my mouth at arm’s length on the first try.

2019 March 22, OC Weekly, volume 24, number 30, Orange County, California: Duncan McIntosh Company, published 2019 March 20, page 20:

(slang, US) Exclaimed, while throwing something at a target, as a prediction or acknowledgement of accuracy.


ue

[…] n'amico me chiamma: «Uè! E fermate nu mumento, vevimmoce nu cafè!»

1958, Riccardo Pazzaglia (lyrics and music), “'O Cafè”, performed by Domenico Modugno:

[…] a friend calls me: "Hey! Stop by for a moment, let's have some coffee!"


'sfoot

A style of oath appearing in Jacobean drama in the 17th century.

’Sfoot, I’ll learn to conjure and raise devils

1602, William Shakespeare, The History of Troilus and Cressida:

Again, again, as God judge me: ’sfoot, cuz, they stand thrumming here with me all day, and yet I get nothing.
’Sfoot, my wit bleeds for’t, methinks.

1604-1616. Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton, The Honest Whore

’Sfoot, what a bevy of beaten slaves are here!

1611, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, King and No King:

“’Sfoot,” Mr. Editor, — what exquisite nonsense hast thou here suffered to pass wholly unnoticed?

1814, . Ralph Griffiths, George Edward Griffiths, The Monthly Review, page 234:

(obsolete) A contraction of "God's foot"; an oath.


criminy

A minced oath from "Christ's money", in reference to the silver that Judas was paid for betraying Jesus.

A minced oath that expresses surprise or impatience.


drat

An aphetism of od-rat (“God rot”) as a minced oath.

Drat! I forgot to post these letters.

Expressing anger, annoyance or frustration.


your mom

Conrad: I am not sure if this phrase is commonly used...
Dominic: Your mom is commonly used.

Student 1: Why are you being such a douche about it?
Student 2: Your mom. [intentionally nonsequitous type of use]

Deb: Well, isn't anyone else here trying to earn money for college?
Kip: Your mom goes to college.

2004, Jared Hess, Jared Hess, directed by Jared Hess, Napoleon Dynamite, Fox Searchlight Pictures:

(derogatory, slang, chiefly US) A general-purpose insult, often used to comedic effect due to becoming stale.


لول

ar-interj

لُول • (lūl)


kyyl

Elongated form of kyl, a dialectal or colloquial form of kyllä.


akai

ouch (expression of one's own physical pain)

wow (expression of one's surprise and wonder)


facts

(Internet slang) Used to express agreement.


shoots

The concierge began talking on the phone in the local pidgin. “Eh, anikala Moki, diz Rodney at work, howzit? I get one winnah for you today. Diz guys like go Miloliʻi … no kidding uncle, four poʻe ipukea kane, come now. Shoots.”

2010, David Heaukulani, The Reficul Parallax: Godsquad Genesis, page 112:


kwik

oink, squeak (used to imitate the sound a pig or boar makes)


ve

Borrowed from German weh, from Proto-Germanic *wai, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wáy (“oh!; woe!; alas!”). Compare Yiddish וויי (vey), Dutch wee, Latin vae, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), Spanish guay, Italian guai, dialectal French vé, Welsh gwae, Latvian vai, Persian وای (vây), Arabic وَيْل (wayl).


ve

From Esperanto ve, from German weh. Compare also Latin vae.

Ve! Me obliviis la furnelo acendite!


ve

From Old Norse vei, væ, from Proto-Germanic *wai.


ve

From Old Swedish ve, from Old Norse vei, væ, from Proto-Germanic *wai, from Proto-Indo-European *wai.
Cognate with Danish ve, Icelandic vei, Old Saxon and Middle High German wê, German weh, Dutch wee, Old English wá, English woe, and also Latin vae. The interjection is original in Old Swedish. The noun might have appeared from that interjection or by loan from Middle Low German.

ve dig!

ack och ve!


duh

Imitative, possibly indicating stupidity by mocking the speech of an intellectually disabled person.

It's hot in the desert. - Well, duh!

Disdainful indication that something is obvious.

خو

disdainful indication that something is obvious

ja klar with a squeaking tone on the second word

sag bloß all with an interrogative intonation

Duhhh, I'm Jasmine, I can't even tie my shoe laces right!


duh

id-noun

duh (first-person possessive duhku, second-person possessive duhmu, third-person possessive duhnya)

duhku (first-person possessive)
duhmu (possessive second-person)
duhnya (possessive third-person)


tyst

From Old Swedish þyster, from Proto-Germanic *þusiþaz. Cognate with Sanskrit तूष्णीम् (tūṣṇī́m, “silent”) and Russian тихий (tíxij, “quiet”).


pff

An expression of annoyance or disappointment.

My doctor advised me to drink less. Pff, if only it were so easy.

A dismissive response to a ridiculous comment.

The sound made whilst blowing a raspberry.


pff

pff (dismissive response to a ridiculous comment)


kao

(idiomatic, followed by particle da) as if, like hell (refers to something that the speaker deems highly unlikely.)


hands off

(informal) Refrain from touching; refrain from initiating any physical contact.

(nautical, historical) Cut off a hand: decreed by old admiralty law as punishment for pulling a knife during a fight with a shipmate.


garn

mrs pearce. […] But you dont know anything about her. What about her parents? She may be married. / liza. Garn! / higgins. There! As the girl very properly says, Garn! Married indeed! Dont you know that a woman of that class looks a worn out drudge of fifty a year after shes married?

1912 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Pygmalion”, in Androcles and the Lion, Overruled, Pygmalion, London: Constable and Company, published 1916, →OCLC, Act II, page 125:

(Cockney slang) A response that expresses disbelief or mockery.


mayday

Borrowed from French m’aider, short for Venez m’aider! or Viens m’aider! (“Come help me!”).

'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' came the call.

2004, Ken Wishaw, Helicopter Rescue: The true story of Australia's first full-time chopper doctor, page 82:


eow

Middle English: yeo, yeo

English: yo

onomatopoeic

exclamation

Expression of grief, sorrow, or surprise Wo!; Alas!


inferno

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese inferno, iferno, from Latin īnfernus (“infernal; of the lower regions”).

uder

hell (expressing discontent, unhappiness, or anger)


unf

(Internet slang, text messaging) Inarticulate grunt of desire issued upon sighting someone sexually attractive, or made in response to a spasm of pleasure during sexual intercourse.


Viktor

From Latin Victor. First recorded as a Swedish given name in 1640 as Victor.

The letter "V" in the Swedish spelling alphabet


bomba

Borrowed from French bombe, from Italian bomba, from Latin bombus (“a boom”), from Ancient Greek βόμβος (bómbos). Related to bęben.


claro

Learned borrowing from Latin clārus (“clear; bright”), displacing Old Galician-Portuguese craro.

lbor

of course (indicates enthusiastic agreement)


claro

Inherited from Latin clārus, one of the few inherited words in Spanish that maintain Latin /kl-/, which normally yields /ʎ/ (cf. also clavo).

of course; for sure; sure (indicates enthusiastic agreement)


porca puttana

Union of porca (“damn”, literally “pig”) and puttana (“whore”).

Porca puttana, in Svizzera hanno 900.000 pompe di calore, che non sono quello che pensi, perché ormai siamo ammorbati di qualsiasi cosa: sono sonde che vanno giù e tirano su il calore e lo sfruttano per scaldarti la casa!

2009, 00:08:28 from the start, in Movimento 5 Stelle: Il Programma, Beppe Grillo (actor):


by jingo

Uncertain for a long time. Main theories include:
* a minced oath of "by Jesus"; compare crikey, zounds, egads, etc.
* a corruption ultimately of "by St. Gingoulph", in reference to Saint Gangulphus of Burgundy.
* a borrowing from Basque Jinkoa (“god”); compare by Jove. Basque sailors ― a common famous occupation for their people, who often swore by their term for God ― travelled far through the seas for centuries, and often met Englishmen.

[…] of all commend me to Ball, this is the Friar of the World, for my Money; you've heard how short, concise, and compendious he is in his Answers? Nothing is to be got out of him but Monosyllables; by Jingo, I believe he would make three bits of a Cherry.

1694, François Rabelais, chapter XXVI, in Peter Anthony Motteux, transl., The fifth book of The works of Francis Rabelais, M.D. […] , page 145:

“Yes, I'll make Simpledoria get out of the way. Come here, Simpledoria. Now, Bill, put your heels together on the edge of the walk. That's right. All ready? Now then! One for the money—two for the show—three to make ready—and four for to GO!” Another silence. “By jingo, Bill Hammersley, you've beat me! Ha, ha! That was a jump! What say?”

1909, Booth Tarkington, Beasley's Christmas Party, New York: Harper & Brothers, pages 22–23:

You can't tell the difference between surface and substance. Between celebrity and real accomplishment. By jingo, you're right. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I owe it all to you.

Used to express determination or surprise.


there, there

There, there. Even though you broke up with her, you'll be fine.

Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody or urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying.

nu budet, budet; da ladno už; čevo už tam

ну будет, будет; да ладно уж; чего уж там


ふむ

ふむ、それでどうする。


now, now

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-now, now.wav

Now, now. Don't be rude.

Now, now, there's nothing to worry about.


fighting

Borrowed from Korean 화이팅 (hwaiting) or 파이팅 (paiting), from English fighting.

2016, 关晓彤晒高中最后一课 抬腿贴黑板摆拍, 新浪娱乐

Fùzhōng liù nián, tàolù mǎnmǎn, yīdìng dài zhe xǐxùn huílái! Fùzhōngrén fighting!

附中六年，套路滿滿，一定帶著喜訊回來！附中人fighting！

2016, 关晓彤晒高中最后一课 抬腿贴黑板摆拍, 新浪娱乐

附中六年，套路满满，一定带着喜讯回来！附中人fighting！

2016, 赵本山女儿晒健身照 短发清爽欲练马甲线, 新浪娱乐

Yùndònghuì shǐ zhěnggè rén jīngshén qǐlái! Zhèngzài chōng xiàng mǎjiǎxiàn bǎobaomen de hángliè zhōng! Fighting!

運動會使整個人精神起來！正在衝向馬甲線寶寶們的行列中！fighting！

2016, 赵本山女儿晒健身照 短发清爽欲练马甲线, 新浪娱乐

运动会使整个人精神起来！正在冲向马甲线宝宝们的行列中！fighting！

2018, 《脱身》玩转粉色幽默 陈坤万茜“放飞自我”, 网易娱乐

大喬fighting！

2018, 《脱身》玩转粉色幽默 陈坤万茜“放飞自我”, 网易娱乐

大乔fighting！

(slang) go for it (to put maximum effort into achieving something)


ああ

Duplication of interjection あ (a).
Compare English ah.

ああ、そのとおりだ。

(colloquial) expresses a calm positive response: yeah


ZOMG

/zəʊ̯ ɛm d͡ʒiː/

Variant of OMG, presumably from excited users accidentally hitting the Z key while attempting to press shift or from conscious imitation of such excitement. The earliest known existence of the term comes from the imageboard 4chan in 2004. The meme was spammed and eventually the name was given to the hidden board /z/.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that my initial reaction to this machine went something like: ZOMG it's an overgrown Blackberry.^([sic])

2007 August, Germaine Ong, “Sony Vaio VGN-UX38GN”, in GameAxis Unwired:

My fellow Tweeters were supportive, bless their hearts, but I know I was getting annoying constantly tweeting stuff like: "ZOMG I JUST BURNED 1K CALORIES!!11!"

2010, Shawn Collins, “Walking the Walk in Affiliate Marketing”, in Internet Marketing from the Real Experts, page 204:

What was he doing pursuing me? He didn't seem happy about it, like, ZOMG, I met my soul mate and now my life can begin! It was more like he was being compelled against his will.

2012, Cate Tiernan, Darkness Falls, page 62:

(Internet slang) An emphatic form of oh my God.


night night

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-night night.wav

(colloquial, usually childish) Goodnight.


don't go there

'Surely, in hindsight, you realise she was an unsuitable wife for you,' he stated unequivocally.
'Don't go there, Dad,' Luc warned, hard ruthless steel in his own eyes. 'You've lost one son. You're very close to losing another.'

2009, Emma Darcy, Sara Craven, Diane Hamilton, The Italian's Love-Child (Mills & Boon By Request):

(idiomatic, informal) Do not broach that topic.


hetta

used to direct horses to move forward; giddyup


é

É, eu fiz isso.

that's right; yes; yeah; indicates agreement

É... você... quer sair comigo?


おめでとう

omedetō (romanization)
omedetau (romanization)
おめでたう (hiragana historical)

Daijirin Daijisen Japanese_language#Late_Middle_Japanese ja:松村明

/omedetaku/ → /omedetau/ → /omedetɔː/ → /omedetoː/
Originally a compound of 御 (o-, honorific prefix) + 愛でたく (medetaku, “admirably, auspiciously”), from adjective 愛でたい (medetai, “admirable, auspicious”).
Modern Japanese -i adjectives formerly ended in -ki for the attributive form. This medial /k/ dropped out during the Muromachi period, both for the attributive form (-ki becoming -i) and for the adverbial form (-ku becoming -u). However, the adverbial form reverted back to -ku thereafter for most words, with the -u ending persisting in certain everyday set expressions, such as arigatō, ohayō, or omedetō, and in hyper-formal speech.


mazel tov

Borrowed from Yiddish מזל־טובֿ (mazl tov), from Hebrew מַזָּל (mazál, “star, constellation; fate, luck”), from Akkadian 𒌓𒁕 (manzaltum) + Hebrew טוֹב (tov, “good”); literally “good stars, good luck”.

der

(in a Jewish context) Used to express congratulations or good wishes, especially at weddings.

مَازَل تُوف

(Hebrew/Yiddish) congratulations or good wishes, especially at weddings

(chiefly in non-Jewish contexts) Used to sarcastically express congratulations for an unimpressive accomplishment or in order to dismiss an accomplishment.


jammer

From Dutch jammer, from Middle Dutch jammer, from Old Dutch iamer, from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful”).


jammer

From Middle Dutch jammer, from Old Dutch iāmer, from Proto-Germanic *jēmaraz (“miserable, sorrowful”).


orka

From Old Swedish orka, from Old Norse orka, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną (English work), from Proto-Indo-European *wṛǵ-·.

– Ta ut soporna, är du snäll. – Orka!
– Take out the trash, please. – I can't be arsed! / It's too much work!

(colloquial) Expresses unwillingness to do or deal with something (taxing).


pots

From clipping of English potassium + -s. Potassium has the symbol K after New Latin kalium. K is reinterpreted as English k, short for okay.

Pots! Pots! Papunta na ako!


bú

Bú, bú, bú, / boci szomorú, / de hogy feszít / tyúkjai közt a kukurikú.

1954, Lőrinc Szabó, Falusi hangverseny (Village concert), archived from the original on 2018-10-19:

Moo, moo, moo / the little calf is blue, / but how proud is / among his hens the cock-a-doodle-doo.

moo (the characteristic sound made by a cow)


eala

Perhaps from a compound whose elements answer to ēa (“oh!, ah!”) + lā (“lo”). Compare Old Frisian ēala (“hail!, hello!”).

Ēalā frēond, hwȳ eart þū swā sċēoh?

late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History
Ēalā brōðor Eċġberht, ēalā, hwæt dydest þū?

Oh brother Egbert, oh, what have you done?


eala

Eala, frya Fresena!


privet

From Russian приве́т (privét, “hello, hi”).


здраво

здра̏во (canonical)
zdrȁvo (romanization)


jeepers

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-jeepers.wav


ε

Interjection from Ancient Greek αἴ (aí).

Ε! Δήμητρα, σε σένα μιλάω!

Ε, εσύ, έλα ’δω μια στιγμή!

(colloquial) hey, oi (said to get someone's attention)

Δεν είδες την ταινία, ε;

eh, huh (used as a tag question, emphasising what goes before or to request that the listener express an opinion about what has been said)

Ε; Τι είπες;

(colloquial) eh, huh, what, pardon (in isolation, request for repetition or clarification of what has just been said)

Ε και να ήταν εδώ αυτή, πόσο θα διασκεδάζαμε!

Oh, if only she were here, what fun we'd have!

E kai na ítan edó aftí, póso tha diaskedázame!

I wish, if only (expressing a wish or hope)

Ε, δεν γαμιέσαι, λέω ’γώ!

(colloquial) oh, just (to precede an offhand or annoyed remark)

Ε, ρε γλέντια!

(colloquial) oh (expression of wonder, amazement, or awe)

Ε... ε... δεν ξέρω τι να πω.

(repeatedly and drawn out) um, er (implying hesitation)


hard luck

Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.


hard lines

(slang, dated) Expressed to someone suffering misfortune.


失礼

[ɕi̥t͡sɨɾe̞ː]

Probably from Middle Chinese compound 失禮／失礼 (syit lej^X, literally “lose, loss + propriety”). Compare modern Min Nan reading sit-lé.


ding dong

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-ding dong.wav

Ding dong bell, pussy's in the well! / Who put her in? Little Johnny Thin. / Who pulled her out? Little Tommy Stout. (Traditional English nursery rhyme)

(onomatopoeia, colloquial, often childish) The sound made by a bell; especially, that made by a doorbell.

丁冬

onomatopoeia for the sound of a doorbell

— Here's a photo of my new girlfriend. — Ding dong!

Ding dong, you're not wrong.

1959, Norman Hudis, 0:44:35 from the start, in Carry On Nurse (motion picture), spoken by Jack Bell (Leslie Phillips), Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors, →OCLC, retrieved 2017-11-10:

(colloquial) A general exclamation of surprise or approval.


stone the crows

Originally Australian English of 1910s, "referring to the former occupation of watching over cornfields and stoning crows that attempt to plunder the crop."

“Why, stone the crows! I′ll look yous up,” sez ′e. / “I need some friends: I ain′t got wife nor chick.”

1924, C. J. Dennis, “Rose Of Spadgers”, in Sentimental Bloke and Other Verses, published 1988, page 86:

The he pinched himself to make sure he was really awake, "Stone the crows!" he said softly. "Stone the crows!"

1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 141:

So I says to meself: stone the crows, I′m a doomed man, might as well shoot through. It was cyclone time, see, and there′s been flash floods and this rock as big as a house has gone.

1988, Janette Turner Hospital, Charades, page 63:

‘Stone the crows,’ I whispered in sheer relief.

2008, Norman Jorgensen, Jack′s Island, ReadHowYouWant, published 2011, page 170:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial) Generalized expression of surprise or amazement, or just for emphasis.


ברוכים הבאים

head

בְּרוּכִים הַבָּאִים

בְּרוּכִים הַבָּאִים • (bruchím habaím)

בְּרוּכִים הַבָּאִים (canonical)
bruchím habaím (romanization)

desc

ברוכים־הבאָים

→ Yiddish: ברוכים־הבאָים (brukhim haboim)

בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא
ברוך הבא#Hebrew

plural of בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא (barúch habá): welcome.


hard cheese

(idiomatic) An unsympathetic retort to someone suffering misfortune.


því miður

From the adverb því (“for that reason”) and miður (“worse”).

Er pláss í bílnum þínum? / Því miður.

Is there any space left in your car? / No, unfortunately not.


adjö

(chiefly solemn or ironic when fully pronounced) goodbye


coñazo

From coño (“cunt”) + -azo (augmentative suffix). Compare French connasse.

af

(Dominican Republic, vulgar) fuck, damn (with emphasis)


папа

(colloquial, childish) Alternative form of па-па! (pa-pa!, “bye-bye”)


hosanna

From Latin osanna, hosanna, from Ancient Greek ὡσαννά (hōsanná), from Aramaic אושענא/ܐܘܫܥܢܐ ('ōsha‘nā), from Biblical Hebrew הוֹשַׁע נָא (hōsha‘ nā, “please save”).

der

A cry of praise or adoration to God in liturgical use among the Jews, and said to have been shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem; hence since used in the Christian Church.


hosanna

Learned borrowing from Latin hosanna, from Ancient Greek ὡσαννά (hōsanná), from Aramaic אושענא/ܐܘܫܥܢܐ ('ōsha‘nā), from Biblical Hebrew הוֹשַׁע נָא (hōsha‘ nā).


ello

“Ello? Ello? Wappen man? Yu nuh know a who a talk to yu? Tek two guess. […]”

2000, Jennifer Keane-Dawes, “The cellular”, in The Jamaica Gleaner (in Jamaican Creole):

Hello? Hello? What's up, man? Do you know who you're speaking to? You have two guesses. […]


occupied

Used to communicate that a toilet is unavailable.

مَشْغُول

(used to communicate that a toilet is unavailable)


alpha and omega

From alpha and omega, first and final letters of the Greek Alphabet, from Revelation 1:8, see quotations. Translation of Ancient Greek τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ (tò álpha kaì tò ô).

τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ

"Alpha and Omega, will you look at that!"

1994, Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons, page 14:


ψι ψι

sometimes written with ενωτικό (enotikó, “hyphen”): ψι-ψι


茄子

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ³⁵ d͡z̥z̩³/

/kʰɛː²¹⁻³⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰia²⁴ t͡sz̩²/

/t͡ɕʰie¹¹ t͡səʔ²/

/ɡa²² t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/d͡ʑia²² t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯e̞¹³ t͡sz̩³/

/t͡ɕi̯a̠¹³ t͡sz̩³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ³⁵ d͡z̥z̩³/

/kʰɛː²¹⁻³⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰia²⁴ t͡sz̩²/

/t͡ɕʰie¹¹ t͡səʔ²/

/ɡa²² t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/d͡ʑia²² t͡sz̩⁴⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯e̞¹³ t͡sz̩³/

/t͡ɕi̯a̠¹³ t͡sz̩³/

(chiefly Mandarin, when taking a photograph) cheese!


じゃ

ja (romanization)
dya (romanization)
ぢや (hiragana historical)

じゃね！

by extension from the "so then" meaning: bye, goodbye


coño

⇒ Chinese: 海公牛 (hǎigōngniú)

Inherited from Latin cunnus. Cognate with Asturian coñu, Aragonese conyo and Catalan cony.

(Cuba, Spain, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic) damn!, fuck!, shit! what the fuck!!


paska

From Proto-Finnic *paska, from Proto-Finno-Ugric *pućka (with irregular vowel development). Cognate with Estonian pask, Northern Sami baika, Erzya пскиземс (pskiźems, “to have diarrhea”), Eastern Mari пушкедаш (puškedaš, “to defecate”), Hungarian fos.

cog

Voi paskat! Unohdin maksaa parkkisakon.

Oh, shit! I forgot to pay that parking ticket.


förlåt

The interjection is from the imperative of förlåta. Literally, “forgive!”

Jag menade inte att såra dig. Förlåt!

I'm sorry (when apologizing for having acted in a (morally) bad way)


pum

pow (the sound of a violent impact, such as a punch)

bang (a verbal emulation of a sudden percussive sound)


jū

From Middle High German [Term?], from Old High German ja, jā (“yes”). Cognate with German ja.


merci

Borrowed from French merci (“thank you”). Doublet of mercy.

bor+

Rebecca Rosen, merci for helping me to understand that connection between you and The Other Side, and making the character of Theresa come alive.

2005, Victoria Laurie, A Vision of Murder: A Psychic Eye Mystery, →ISBN:

"Improve the roads! Merci for the reception!" With this insouciant remark and the banner he affixed to his automobile that read "Auto rally against roadlessness and slovenliness!"

2008, Lewis H. Siegelbaum, Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile, →ISBN:

“Merci, Bob. I'll inform Lauren,” Bergere said as he hurried out of the office.

2014, Art Wiederhold, Hunter: Quebec, →ISBN:


merci

(chiefly Belgium or colloquial Netherlands) thank you


merci

From Middle French merci, mercy, from Old French merci, from Latin mercēdem (“wages, fee, price”).
Used as an interjection of gratitude since at least the early 12th century, originally as "grand merci", for instance spelled "granz merciz" in Li coronemenz Looïs.

merci pour ton aide


merci

From Old French merci (“mercy; clemency”), from Latin mercēdem (“wages, fee, price”).


ánimo

have courage!, cheer up!, keep your head up! good luck!, chin up!


schack

→ Finnish: shakki, šakki

From German Schach, from Middle High German schāch, from Latin scaccī, from Arabic شَاه (šāh), from Persian شاه (šâh, “king”), related to shah. Doublet of shah.

check; a claim used in chess to notify the opponent that his/her king is threatened.


おか

(Internet slang) short for おかえり (okaeri): welcome back, welcome home


shucks

Shucks. It's too bad you can't make it to the party.

(colloquial, euphemistic) Exclamatory response to a minor disappointment.

Aw, shucks, ma'am, catching those wild horses was easy.

(colloquial, euphemistic) A bashful expression of thanks.


misère

dear me! dear Lord! oh boy! heavens! woe is me!


Deo gratias

[ˈd̪eoː ˈɡräːt̪iäːs̠]

[ˈd̪ɛːo ˈɡrät̪ː͡s̪iäs]

thanks be to God; thank God!, thank goodness!


on your marks

Used to start a race, followed by "Get set, go!" or "Set, go!".

各就各位

Interjection used to start a race, followed by "Get set, go!" or "Set, go!".


naya

(offensive) An exclamation to get attention from a girl.


oy vey

From Yiddish אוי וויי (oy vey, literally “oh woe”), from Middle High German ōwē, from ō + wē, the latter being from Old High German wē, from Proto-Germanic *wai, from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with German o weh, Dutch oh wee, Latin vae, and Esperanto ho ve.

bor

(slang, ascribed to Jewish people, potentially offensive) oh dear

ascribed to Jewish people; potentially offensive; ascribed to Jewish people; potentially offensive


diddly

On the handcar mornings or evenings he would amuse his companion by pumping away to a triple-tongued pattern, which he would hum emphatically as they rolled along: "dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee dee-dum dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee..."

1993, Hugh Hood, Be sure to close your eyes: a novel:

...When combined with the following picked note, this gives a rhythmic 'diddly-dum' effect.

2005, Gordon Giltrap, Total Giltrap: Guitar Encounters of the Fingerstyle Kind:

It's easy enough for him to go “diddly-diddly-diddly-dum” a thousand and one times, whereas with me it's “diddly-diddly-diddly- omigodIcan'tbreathe-dum!”)

A written representation of a trill sound.


palan

Ika palan!

expressing sudden realization; exclamation of surprise.


harrow

From Middle English harrow, harrowe, haro, from Old French haro, harou, harau, harol, from Frankish *harot, *hara (“here; hither”), from *hēr. Akin to Old Saxon herod, Old High German herot, Middle Dutch hare.

Harrow, the flames, which me consume (said hee) / Ne can be quencht, within my secret bowels bee.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(obsolete) A call for help, or of distress, alarm etc.


tabarnak

Originally a Quebec eye-dialect spelling of tabernacle.

Non, non, c’est juste une joke. Garde-lé, ton vingt piastres. C’t’une tabarnak de gang de fous: j’ai les poches pleines. M’a te dire rien qu’une affaire: tu l’as en tabarnak ! Non, non, c’est vrai. T’es correct, toé.

2009, Robert Maltais, Le Curé du Mile End, page 195:

No, no, I was just joking. Keep it, your twenty bucks. They're all a fuckin' bunch of idiots: my pockets are full. Lemme tell ya something: you fuckin' have it! No, no, it's true: you're quite good, you.

Roman Reigns, écoute-moi bien: demain soir, t’es chez moi tabarnak!

2023, Friday Night SmackDown, spoken by Sami Zayn:

Roman Reigns, listen to me: tommorow night, you're in my fuckin' house!

(Quebec, vulgar, slang) An expletive and intensifier for all purposes.


salaam

From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”). Doublet of shalom, a borrowing from Hebrew.

A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly in Islamic countries.


ova

East Slavic:

Old Ruthenian: ов (ov), оу (ou)

Ukrainian: овва́ (ovvá)

⇒ Ukrainian: оввакало (ovvakalo)

South Slavic:

Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic script: о̏во, е̏во

Latin script: ȍvo, ȅvo

West Slavic:

Old Czech: ova

⇒ Old Czech: ova tu, ova neb(o)

Czech: ouve

⇒ Czech: ouvech, ouvej, ovej, ovaj

Old Polish: owa

Polish: owwa; owo, ow (obsolete); owa (dialectal)

Old Slovak: óvi

Slovak: óvi

From the determiner *ovъ. Possibly related to the interjection *uvy.

Used to emphasize or draw attention to something, often with a notch of disappointment: aw! oy!


crumbs

(chiefly British) An expression of mild surprise.


алло

head

алло́ • (alló)

→ Eastern Mari: алло (allo)

Borrowed from French allô, ultimately from English hello.

Бесстыжая горничная, поставив одну ногу на стул, сняла трубку с рычажка и сказала в нее:
— Алло!

1973, Михаил Булгаков, “Глава XVIII. Неудачливые визитёры”, in Мастер и Маргарита; English translation from Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, transl., Master and Margarita, London: Penguin Books, 1997:

The shameless maid put one foot on a chair, picked up the receiver, and into it said:
‘Hello!’

Besstyžaja gorničnaja, postaviv odnu nogu na stul, snjala trubku s ryčažka i skazala v neje:
— Allo!

usually used to render the pronunciation of the speaker


алло

алло́ • (alló)

гальо́

used to render the pronunciation of the speaker


touch wood

And the reds are going to avoid relegation this year, touch wood.

If it′s ever me (Jesus Christ, touch wood!), I don′t want you bringing me flowers.

1988, Janette Turner Hospital, chapter I, in Charades, page 314:

The English press has been very good to me, touch wood.

2008 March, Anna Friel with Deanna Kizis (interviewer), “A Conversation with: Anna Friel”, in Women′s Health, page 88:

I know I have my faults and one of them is my impatience and I also cannot tolerate people who are ill, mainly because I am so very rarely ill—“Touch wood,” I said out loud and touched my head at the same time.

2009, Lee Hobin, chapter I, in The Male Survival Guide to Pregnancy, page 59:

(idiomatic, UK, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India) Hopefully; said while touching something wooden, to avert superstitious bad luck from what has just been said.


bru

From Afrikaans broer. Doublet of brother, friar, and pal.


knock on wood

I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.

(idiomatic, US, Philippines) Hopefully; a self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action

أَمْسِكْ الْخَشَبَ (ʔamsik al-ḵašaba, literally “seize wood”)

(Lebanon) دُقَّ عَالْخَشَبَ (duqqa ʕālḵašaba, literally “knock on wood”)

大吉利是 (daai⁶ gat¹ lai⁶ si⁶, literally “lucky lucky”)

syv-ni-tretten; while physically knocking under a table or on wood

χτύπα ξύλο (chtýpa xýlo, literally “knock on wood”)

בלי עין הרע (bli 'áyin hará', literally “without the evil eye”)

מלח מים (mélakh máyim, literally “salt, water”)

שום בצל (shum batzál, literally “garlic, onion”)

桑原桑原 (くわばらくわばら, kuwabara kuwabara, literally “mulberry field mulberry field”)

بزن به تخته (bezan be taxta, literally “knock on the table”)

چشم بد دور (češm-e bad dur, literally “far [be] the evil eye”)


anchor's aweigh

[1928] 1988, Frederick Pease Harlow, The Making of a Sailor http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0486256138&id=maCNIgbmJMgC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&sig=9Fd6uA0SsfwXRKuI4mZqnZokyAU
Then the mate called again to the captain, “Anchor’s aweigh, sir!” while the men kept on heaving.

Amory’s voice came again from the fo’c’sle. ‘Anchor’s aweigh, sir.’

‘Anchor’s apeak — they pawl and back — ’ At this moment the American frigate fired a gun, dropped her topgallantsails, and sheeted them home. ‘Anchor’s aweigh,’ called Broke. ‘He plucked it up in fine style.’

1994, Patrick O'Brian, The Fortune of War:

(nautical) Response to order to weigh anchor when the anchor has been tripped and is no longer attached to the bottom.


bones

Ellipsis of bones tardes (“good afternoon”).


MOT

Short for mikä oli todistettava = mikä (“what”) + oli (“was”) + todistettava (“to be proven”)

quod erat demonstrandum
quod erat demonstrandum#English

(mathematics) QED, quod erat demonstrandum


toodle pip

Right, I'm off. Toodle pip!


sharks

From English shark + -s. The Tagalog word for shark, pating, is then a clipping of patingin.


pooh

Originally onomatopoeic ("perhaps ancient" according to Online Etymology Dictionary) for a puff of air, after earlier poh and similar to later pew, phew, pho, phoo, poof. Later influenced by poop, onomatopoeic for the sound of flatulating and defecating, and by interjections of disgust similar to phew, pee-ew. Interjection for an unpleasant smell possibly linked to French puer (“to stink”).

I am carelesse what the fustie World speakes of me, puh.

1600, Ben Jonson, Every Man out of His Humor, iii, i, sig. iii

Pooh, ha, ha, ha, I know you envy me.

1694, William Congreve, Double-Dealer, I, i, 2:

Expressing dismissal, contempt, impatience, etc.

Pooh!... How you smell of tobacco.

1859, S.S. Steele, Conjugal Lesson, page 182:

Expressing disgust at an unpleasant smell.

Mom offers everybody fudge and says ‘Oh, pooh!’ when she gets upset.

(euphemistic) Alternative form of poo: a minced oath for 'shit'.


пизда

(vulgar) Shit! (an expression of anger or frustration)

(vulgar) Fuck you! (an expression of anger or frustration)


hala

my goodness! (an indication of surprise, shock, or amazement)


hala

used to express warning or threat for a wrongdoing: you're in trouble!


fucking A

Possibly an ironically shortened form of fucking affirmative from US military.

A: "We won!"

B: "Fucking A!"

Here is an anecdote from the writer Patricia Highsmith: "Not so long ago I said to a friend of mine: 'If I saw a kitten and a little human baby sitting on the curb starving, I would feed the kitten first if nobody was looking.' My friend said: 'I would feed the kitten first if somebody was looking.'" I would too, Patricia.
Some people seem shocked and say, "You care more about animals than you do about humans!" Fuckin'-A well told!

1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 237:

(US, slang, vulgar) An expression of triumph or joy, usually in response to unexpected good news.


rendre

Rendre, rendre!

(archaic, politics) order! (the speaker's call to order during sessions in legislature)


psychedelic

Aldous Huxley
psychedelic
psychedelic experience

From Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “mind, soul”) + δῆλος (dêlos, “manifest, visible”) + -ic. Coined by English psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956 in a letter to Aldous Huxley.


бре

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بره (bre), from Byzantine Greek βρέ (bré), probably shortened from μωρέ (mōré, “man!”, literally “fool!”), the vocative of μωρός (mōrós, “dull”).

Кажи що сакаш, бре!

Бре, отиде конят у ряката!
Bre, otide konjat u rjakata!
Mate, the situation got totally screwed!

literally, “Mate, the horse has gone into the river!”

used for emphasis along with vocative appellations

Ха бре, у бре!

Чиба, бре!
Čiba, bre!
Shoo, shoo!

used as an intensifier in expressive phrases


бре

Possibly from Ottoman Turkish بره (bre), from Byzantine Greek βρέ (bré) (compare Turkish bre, Serbo-Croatian бре, Albanian bre, and Greek μωρέ (moré), βρε (vre) and ρε (re)), probably shortened from μωρέ (mōré, “man!”, literally “fool!”), in which case it would be a doublet of море (more).

(intensifier) used to express aggression, impatience, fervor or similar emotions

(intensifier) used to intensify vocatives, conveying the emotions explained above


бре

Possibly from Ottoman Turkish بره (bre), from Byzantine Greek βρέ (bré) (compare Turkish bre, Macedonian бре (bre), Albanian bre, and Greek μωρέ (moré), βρε (vre) and ρε (re)), probably shortened from μωρέ (mōré, “man!”, literally “fool!”), in which case it would be a doublet of мо̑ре.

(intensifier) used to express passion about the point of a sentence, at any part of a sentence

Шта си бре то урадио!?

(intensifier) similar to English fuck or hell, but not vulgar, e.g.:


ae

(Internet slang, Brazil) oh yeah (expression of joy or approvement)


pish

Expressive; perhaps partly from Scots pish (“piss”).


pish

From late Middle English pyshe, variant of pisse.


tits

"Oh tits, a slight mishap, I've taken his fuckin' feet off!"

"Oh, tits. We can't do anything with those."

2007, Damian Tarnopolsky, Lanzmann and Other Stories:

(British, Ireland, vulgar, slang) Used to express dismay or annoyance.

2000, "The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000" (season 4, episode 1), South Park
Eric Cartman: Alright! Kenny's in, you guys! Tits!

(US, vulgar, slang) Used to express excitement.


diable

Inherited from Middle French diable, from Old French diable, deable, a semi-learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin or Late Latin diabolus, from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos).


maar

Clipping of Maaria, a vernacular form of Maria (“Mary, mother of Jesus Christ”).

(Turku region) Used as fortifier after e.g. words kyllä (“yes”), totta (“true”).