naw

In Scottish use, from Scots naw, naa, na, from Middle English na, from Old English nā (“no, never”). More generally, a colloquial, unarticulated form of no; compare nah. More at no.

"Naw, no trouble. Just pulled off the road for about ten minutes, maybe, when a couple of Nip fighters banked overhead. They were after something or other." "Is that right?" Mac replied.

2003, Anton F. Bilek, Tony Bilek, Gene O'Connell, No Uncle Sam: The Forgotten of Bataan, Kent State University Press, →ISBN, page 31:

'Naw, hen, sorry. Ye're too young for us. Come back when you've got a couple mair years under yer belt, eh?'

“Naw, no thanks. I'll catch you next time.” “Come on, Shane. All you do is work, work, and work. You need to have a little fun, don't you?” “Right now, I'm having a lot of fun. Trust me.” “Do you have company?” “No, I'm painting.”

2012 November 1, Brenda Hampton, Naughty No More, Urban Books, →ISBN:

(Jamaica) Pronunciation spelling of not.


bye

→ Afrikaans: baai

→ Greenlandic: baj

→ Faroese: bei

→ Icelandic: bæ

“Okay, busted. But you see all them muscles, girl?” She shakes her head, laughing. “Nope. I only have eyes for my boo.” “Girl, bye. You can still look.” She giggles. “Well, I ain’t lookin’ hard, trust.[…]”

2015, Amir Abrams, Diva Rules, Dafina Books, →ISBN, page 151:

Rowlings-Blake responded: "Girl bye, if he can't take criticism from 'a joke', what's he gonna do when somebody real comes for him? #notready"

2016 August 7, Susan Edelman, C.J. Sullivan, Bruce Golding, “Trump supporter’s sign gets torched”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-12-05:

Her jeans don't even got the loops for her damn belt LMFAO bye 😭

2021 February 18, @mi55fatima, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-07-20:

"i wish to get back a couple of katycats that left my side" bye did she really say this..its so sad i love her sm 😢😔

2021 December 20, @kplightning, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-07-20:

"I just want Johnny to leave me alone." Girl, bye. Control your lap dog.

2023 July 11, @KimcastCares, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-07-20:

(African-American Vernacular, slang) An exclamation of disbelief or dismissal.


viola

And viola, Eureka California! I have finished my greatest invention: the worst dog in the world!

1988, “Hey Vern, It's Pets”, in Hey, Vern, It's Ernest! (television production), spoken by Dr. Otto (Jim Varney):

[...] ; you fill out a form; you write your check; and viola! You're a mutual fund shareholder.

(often humorous) Misconstruction of voila.


basta

Baſta, content thee: for I haue it full.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 212, column 1:

(obsolete outside Spanish/Portuguese/Italian contexts) (that's) enough; stop!


Mississippi

Borrowed from Ojibwe misi-ziibi, ᒥᓯ᐀ᓰᐱ (misi-siipi, “great river”).

Any reader who uses the old “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, etc.” method to estimate distance to a storm, and doesn't get any further than a count of five to eight had better be in a safe shelter.

1996 September, “Cheers & Jeers”, in Field and Stream, volume 101, page 12:

Used in a common chronometric counting scheme, in which each iteration is sequentially numbered and supposed to be approximately one second in length.


bosh

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بوش (boş, “empty, unoccupied”). Entered popular usage in English from the novels of James Justinian Morier.

bor

"Bosh!" said the Vicar, rejecting the hint altogether.

1904, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter 1, in The Food of the Gods:

“The people who wrote the mediaeval ballads,” answered the priest, “knew more about fairies than you do. It isn’t only nice things that happen in fairyland.”
“Oh, bosh!” said Flambeau. “Only nice things could happen under such an innocent moon. I am for pushing on now and seeing what does really come. We may die and rot before we ever see again such a moon or such a mood.”

1911, G. K. Chesterton, “The Sins of Prince Saradine”, in The Innocence of Father Brown:

(chiefly British) An expression of disbelief or annoyance.


bosh

An onomatopoeic formation, imitating a sudden blow.

It's a ~3 foot double lead with two 5-pin DIN plugs on one end and a big gameport-sized-n-shaped plug on the other. One end into the gameport, t'other plugs into the back of your keyboard. Bosh, job done.

My father registered with these people a few months ago, and all his calls dried up. He was also of the opinion that he shouldn't need to register not to be disturbed, and he's pretty ruthless on the 'phone when he wants to be . . . but eventually he grew tired of it . . . bosh. Job done.

Wrong, get a LPG diesel. More power than either, better economy than either, bosh, job's done.

(British) An expression of speedy and satisfactory completion of a simple or straightforward task.


mmm

Mmm, this is a tasty pie!

emotional expression
w:emotional expression

(onomatopoeia) An emotional expression of contentment

Mmm, I see what you mean.

In his final years he [John Ogdon] gave an interview to an American journalist who noticed that “his handshake is a boneless fadeaway. His response to a lengthy anecdote from a close friend is likely to range from a non-committal ‘Mmmmmmm’ to a rare ‘Very interesting’.”

2014 May 11, Ivan Hewett, “Piano Man: a Life of John Ogdon by Charles Beauclerk, review: A new biography of the great British pianist whose own genius destroyed him [print version: A colossus off-key, 10 May 2014, p. R27]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):

(onomatopoeia) An expression used to show thought or reflection

(onomatopoeia) Used to represent an utterance that is muffled or spoken with a full mouth (also spelled "mmph").

Danny: Have you got any food?
I: Mmm! As a matter of fact, got a saveloy.


muahahaha

Comes from the natural sound mu and the laughing sound hahaha, repeating.

(onomatopoeia) A conventionally evil laugh, as used by a supervillain.


über alles

From the verse Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, über alles in der Welt (“Germany above all, above all in the world”), from the German national anthem Lied der Deutschen, composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797. The verse originally meant that the Germans and their rulers have to overcome existing divisions and keep in mind the goal of a unified Germany.

Similarly, British Finance Capitalism forced back to its last line of defence will cry: "Britain über alles" though for the moment, Socialism having neglected Scottish Nationalism [..]

1967, Hugh MacDiarmid, The Company I've Kept, page 132:

Pax Americana and all that bullshit? Grissom said. 'America über alles. You want to make the rest of the world our slaves.'

2008, Mike Hockney, Prohibition A, page 45:

(used after a country name, usually ironic or humorous) Invokes a perception of the specified country as superior to others, or having a supreme status when compared to others.


au revoir

/ˌəʊ.ɹə.ˈvwɑː/

/ˌoʊ.ɹə.ˈvwɑɹ/

/ˌɑ.ɹə.ˈvwɑɹ/

Unadapted borrowing from French au revoir, with relatively formal but otherwise identical meaning, possibly due to the cumbersome nature of formal English equivalents.

ubor

2000 January 22, Philipp Goedicke, Carl Kasell (announcer), “Listener Limerick Challenge”, Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me!, National Public Radio
Though about it the South used to brag / I’m afraid it’s become such a drag / We should say au revoir / To the old stars and bars

2001 November 23, Jack Hassell, “Au Revoir!”, Object Management Group, mail archive, www.omg.org https://web.archive.org/web/20050123185851/http://www.omg.org/archives/dtc/msg03667.html
After about 40++ TC meetings and over seven years, it's time to say "au revoir" - at least for now.


mum

From Middle English mum or mom (“silent”), reminiscent of the sound made when gagged or with a hand over one's mouth. Perhaps related to dated German Mumme (“mask”).

onomatopoeic

reminiscent

Mum, then, and no more.

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

Ahab has that that’s bloody on his mind. But, mum; he comes this way.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 31, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 143:


hmm

Hmm... that's an interesting idea.

Hmm... I just can't decide between the two.

Hmm... creation or evolution? That’s the big question.

Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
B. Wooster: Hmm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves?
Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.

May 12 1991, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 2, episode 5:

Just where were you until 2 a.m.? Hmm?


tune

From Middle English tune, an unexplained variant of tone, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “a tone”). Doublet of tone, ton, and tonus.

You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!

(UK, slang) Used to show appreciation or approval of a song.


nuts

Nuts! They didn't even listen to what I had to say.

Indicates annoyance, anger, or disappointment.

They want me to pay $5 for a banana? Nuts to that!

Early plans for this storyline didn't have Ellen get to fight back against Sirleck. She was just a host for Sirleck, and didn't have any agency to speak of.

2018 March 19, Dan Shive, “Comic for Monday, Mar 19, 2018”, in El Goonish Shive, archived from the original on 2022-05-07:

Upon denial of his exemption request, Dunn sent to a major general “a one-word memorandum that simply read: ‘NUTS!’”.

2022 April 19, Lauren Aratani, “US supreme court rules against air force officer who refused Covid vaccine”, in The Guardian, Guardian Media Group, retrieved 2022-04-19:

Signifies rejection of a proposal or idea, as in forget it, no way, or nothing doing; often followed by to.


what the fuck

→ Chinese: 花惹發／花惹发 (huārěfā)

→ Dutch: wat de fok

→ French: ouate de phoque

The proof is on my computer. It’s on all these people’s computers, and everyone around here is just going along with that. What the fuck? [quoting Emilia Jones as Reality Winner in the film Winner]

2024 September 11, Richard Brody, ““Winner” Takes Political Comedy Seriously”, in The New Yorker:

(vulgar) Used to express astonishment, shock, incredulity, or disbelief (as an ellipsis of longer expressions).

What the fuck are you doing? — Τι στο διάολο κάνεις

一体全体なんだ？

いったいぜんたいなんだ？

I finally said “eh, what the fuck” and quit my job.

Every now and then say, "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future.

1983, Risky Business, spoken by Miles (Curtis Armstrong):

(vulgar) Used to express nonchalance or the dismissal of any consequences of something one is about to do.


son of a bitch

Alteration of an earlier phrase represented by Middle English biche-sone (“son of a bitch”, literally “bitch's son”), calqued from Old Norse bikkju-sonr (“son of a bitch”).

der

(slang, vulgar) Used to express anger, contempt, astonishment, disappointment, dismay, etc.

kurva anyád

probably the most offensive insult in Hungarian


cockadoodledoo

Alternative spelling of cock-a-doodle-doo


hooray

Unknown, first attested in the late 17th c. Possible etymologies:
* Alteration of huzzah. This is however questionable.
* From hurra in German, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, húrra in Icelandic, hoera in Dutch.

Lizzie has broken a world record, and she is now an Olympic medallist! – Hooray!

Used to express approval, joy or victory.


go away

Go away! Stop annoying me!

(dismissal) A command demanding someone to leave.

don't let the door hit you on the way out


yessir

Japanese: イエッサー (slang)

نَعَم سَيِّدِي

used to express assent, especially to a superior

(informal or military) Used to express assent, especially to a male superior.

(informal) Used to express emphatic affirmation.


woof

The interjection and noun are onomatopoeic. Interjection sense 2 (“used to express strong physical attraction for someone”) probably alludes to the eager barking of a dog.
The verb is probably derived from the interjection and the noun. Verb sense 1.2 (“to eat (food) voraciously”) may be influenced by or, alternatively, derived from wolf (“to eat (food) voraciously, devour, gobble”).

Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "woof, woof!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen.

1885 September, H[enry] Rider Haggard, “An Elephant Hunt”, in King Solomon’s Mines, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, […], published 1887, →OCLC, page 55:

"Woof" came another [anti-aircraft] shell, and then in quick succession another and another, the last one dead ahead and with such correct elevation that, a second later, the machine flashed through the streaming black smoke of the burst.

1918, Boyd Cable [pseudonym], “Bring Home the ’Bus”, in Air Men o’ War, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 14:

[…] Ricardo [a collie] made the announcement in his usual manner—with suppressed exclamatory "woofs" that always sounded to Kimball like small explosions of canine emotion. And, also according to custom, Friday [a bear cub] promptly grew inexpressibly interested and excited. Those "woof" noises always were interpreted by him as warnings of the approach of something whose status as friend or foe had not yet been determined. […] Friday gave vent to a series of "woofs" in imitation of Ricardo […]

1933 March, E. Waldo Long, “Ricardo Draws the Line”, in Boys’ Life. The Boy Scouts’ Magazine, volume XXIII, number 3, New York, N.Y.: Boy Scouts of America, →OCLC, page 10, column 1:

Startled bears often make a ‘whoosh’ or ‘woof’ sound as they turn to run. As long as bears run, don’t be alarmed. If, however, bears stand their ground and begin a series of woofs (like air forced out of a bellows), or pop their teeth together, or both, then this is your invitation to leave.

1985 February, Michael Parfit, “Kodiak: ‘Twice as Good as Anybody!’”, in Connie Bourassa-Shaw, editor, Islands: An International Magazine, Santa Barbara, Calif.: Islands Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 47, column 2:

Used to indicate the sound of a dog barking, or something resembling it.

boj

used to indicate the sound of a dog barking, or something resembling it

I see a hardworking man, with a smile that lights up a room—very sexy—woof!

2015, Remmy Duchene, Love Me Harder, San Francisco, Calif.: Loose Id, →ISBN:

(humorous) Used to express strong physical attraction for someone.


brava

When ballet stars perform in San Francisco, they always dine at Bali’s, the domain of a Manchurian-born Armenian, owner Armen Baliantz. […] An ex-ballerina herself, she has now brought all her discipline, grace, and charm to the running of Bali’s, and all we can say is “brava!”

1983, Alena Lasley, Paul Lasley, Frommer’s 1983-84 Guide to San Francisco, New York, N.Y.: Frommer/Pasmantier Publishers, →ISBN, page 57:

Alternative form of bravo spoken to a female performer


woohoo

Woohoo! It’s summer again!

She […] hath ſtiled him with an immortall penne, the bawewawe of ſchollars, the tutt of gentlemen, the tee-heegh of gentlewomen, the phy of citizens, the blurt of Courtiers, the poogh of good letters, the faph of good manners, and the whoop-hooe of good boyes in London ſtreetes.

[1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London: [s.n.], 1870], →OCLC, page 181:

Used to express sudden or exuberant joy, happiness, excitement, approval or delight.


ahoy

→ Czech: ahoj

→ Danish: ohøj

→ Dutch: ahoi

→ German: ahoi

→ Slovak: ahoj

From a- + hoy (a nautical call used in hauling), from Middle English hoy (interjection), a greeting dating back to the fourteenth century. Compare Dutch hoi (“hi!, hello!”).

af

While he was thus occupied, a voice, still more uncouth than the former, bawled aloud, ‘Ho! the house, a-hoy!’

1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle:

I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

(nautical) Used to hail a ship, a boat or a person, or to attract attention.

Lawsuits, ahoy! […] Towns can regulate use of their beaches. But what about the waters offshore?

1989, Forbes, volume 143, numbers 5-7, page 74:

Catalytic converters ahoy – Zeppelin's latest is one of those high-rev 3D driving games that simulates racing tracks from all over the world.

1992, Championship Run (video game review) in Your Sinclair issue 75, page 61

(humorous) Warning of something approaching or impending.


och

Compare Early Modern English och, Scottish Gaelic och, Irish och. Compare also Scots ach, Scots ouch.

(chiefly Scotland, Ireland) general interjection of confirmation, affirmation, and often disapproval.

“Och, ooh, it’s so confusing, it hurts my wee head! I’m just a woman, you know, just a pair of ovaries and some bangs! How do I have the mental capacity to pick from one of two options? Put me down for a no, and never trust me with an important decision again!”

2014 September 14, “Scottish Independence”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 1, episode 17, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:

(chiefly Scotland, Ireland) an expression of anger, frustration, surprise


phew

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-phew.wav

Attested since the early 17th century. An onomatopoeia for rapid exhalation, as one may make when a trying situation is over, or in order to get rid of an unpleasant odour. Compare Scots feuch, Spanish fu, Czech fuj, and many more such forms.

onomatopoeic

onomatopoeia

uf

Used to show relief, fatigue, or surprise

Phew, that took a long time to cook!

Used to express relief of tension, fatigue, or surprise.

Phew, it stinks in here!


shoo

From Middle English schew, schowe, show, showe, scou (“shoo!”, interjection). Compare Middle High German schū, schuo (“shoo!”, interjection) (modern German scheu! (“shoo!”)), Dutch schuwen (“to shun”), German scheuchen (“to scare, drive away”).

cog

(informal, demeaning) Go away! Clear off!


all hands on deck

As soon as the boche and his guard were aboard again, I called all hands on deck, including von Schoenvorts, and there I explained to them that the time had come for us to enter into some sort of an agreement among ourselves that would relieve us of the annoyance and embarrassment of being divided into two antagonistic parts--prisoners and captors.

1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Chapter V”, in The Land That Time Forgot:

(nautical) An order, on board ship, for all seamen of all watches to muster on deck immediately; normally shortened to "All hands"

It was all hands to the deck in the Swindon penalty box.

2000 March 12, Stuart Barnes, “Swindon stunner for Curbishley”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Summer, with its good weather and accompanying onslaught of tourists, was the time when they made most of their money for the year, and so it was all hands on deck.

2015, Marie Bostwick, The Second Sister:

(by extension) A call for everyone to participate in something.


amidships

A helm order, normally shortened to midships!, to centre the helm in the line of the keel.


get out

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

Get out! I never want to see you in here again!

(literally) Commanding a person to leave.

"Giants in armour, sir. Hundred feet high. Three legs and a body like 'luminium, with a mighty great head in a hood, sir." "Get out!" said the lieutenant. "What confounded nonsense!".

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 91:

Just get out.

(UK, slang) Expressing disapproval or disgust, especially after a bad joke.


Judy

(military) Aircrew has radar/visual contact on the correct target, has taken control of the intercept, and only requires situation awareness information.


viva

Borrowed from Spanish viva and Italian viva.

Long live ... ! (used to express acclaim or support).


on board

The stereotypical cry of pirates when boarding a ship for close quarters combat.


heads

A shouted warning that something is falling from above, mind your heads; heads-up.


boing

Onomatopoeic. The “large breasts” sense is borrowed from Japanese ボイン, in turn from English boing.

A representation of the sound of something bouncing.

(fandom slang, chiefly in the context of anime and comics) Announcing the presence of large, pert breasts, which are bouncy.

(slang) Announcing the advent of male arousal (erection), via the metaphor of a spring springing energetically.

"Phut." Something whipped into the ground beside him and there was a pinpoint flash from the cabin. "B-o-i-n-g-g-g." There was another flash and the bullet hit the rail and whined off into the night.

1956, Ian Fleming, Diamonds are Forever, published 1965, page 100:


unable

From Middle English unable, unabel, unhable, unhabil, equivalent to un- + able.

"November three seven kilo, climb and maintain twelve thousand." "Unable, we have pressurization problems. Maintaining nine thousand."

(aviation) Indicating that a requested course of action is not possible to carry out.


wagwan

Borrowed from Jamaican Creole wah gwan (literally “what go on”), a modified form of English what's going on.

bor+

Wah gwan, Sabrina, what's it like in Mississauga? / I know you stay at home wit' momma / So can you bless me with a dollar? Don't be rude

2024 June 3, “Wah Gwan Delilah” (3:32 from the start)performed by Snowd4y ft. Drake:

what's happening
what's happening#English

(Jamaica, MLE, MTE, slang) A greeting, equivalent to what's up or what's happening.


bummer

From bum (“make unhappy”) + -er (agent noun suffix), originally US drug slang.

af

(colloquial) Exclamation of annoyance or frustration at a bummer (disappointment).


gracious

From Middle English gracious, from Old French gracieus, from Latin gratiosus, from gratia (“esteem, favor”). See grace. Displaced native Old English hold (“gracious”). Doublet of gracioso and grazioso.

Expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.


objection

/əbˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/

From Middle French objection, from Old French objeccion, from Latin obiectio.

Objection! That is irrelevant to this case, Your Honor!

(chiefly US, law) An assertion that a question or statement is in violation of the rules of the court.


sheesh

(euphemistic) An expression of disbelief or exasperation.


hint

From Middle English hinten, hynten, variant of henten (“to lay hold of, catch”), from Old English hentan (“to seize, grasp”), from Proto-West Germanic *hantijan, from Proto-Germanic *hantijaną. Doublet of hent. Related also to hunt.

And yes, as long as you are being a good coder and engaging in safe practices, nothing should go wrong. (Hint, hint.)

(often reduplicated) Signifies that something previously said should be taken as a hint or heeded closely.


zip

`Zip!' Just like that, an exquisitely shaped fragment of a flashing rainbow in flight flits across in front of us[.]

1934, Henry G. Lamond, An Aviary on the Plains, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 35:

(onomatopoeia) Imitative of high-pitched sound of a small object moving rapidly through air.


oy gevalt

bor

אוי געוואַלד

אוי געוואַלט


Scott

“Why, I have to find work for the thirty thousand that comes out of the coal, haven't I?”
“Scott, what a head! I never thought of that. How are you getting along? Where have you arrived?”


ey up

Ey up lad, haa's it diddlin?

Ey up, ther's somedy comin daan t'rooad, Aw'll talk to thee later.


heh

Friend 1: Some people say a man is made outta mud.

Friend 2: Heh.

(onomatopoeia) Weak amusement, sometimes signaling boredom.


heh

He handed the fragment to Bass, saying, “A cold-blooded little thing—heh? Not really. They just acted that way, the way they bite. And little? Ha! Its wing span was eighteen feet.”

2017, Stephen Randorf, Murder Over The Bones:


toodeloo

→ Dutch: toedeloe

Unknown. Possibly from French à tout à l’heure (“see you later”) or from toot.

der

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, dated) goodbye, farewell, see you soon


preach

From Middle English prechen, from Old French prëechier, precchier (Modern French prêcher), from Latin praedicō. Doublet of predicate.
The Latin word is also the source of Old English predician (“to preach”), Saterland Frisian preetje (“to preach”), West Frisian preekje (“to preach”), Dutch preken (“to preach”), German Low German preken (“to preach”), German predigen (“to preach”), Danish prædike (“to preach”), Swedish predika (“to preach”), Icelandic prédika (“to preach”), Norwegian Nynorsk preika (“to preach”).

– If you can't do the time, don't do the crime! – Preach!

(slang) Used to express strong agreement (as if encouraging somebody to continue speaking).


GM

Alternative form: gm

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of good morning.


gadzooks

Minced form of God's hooks, a reference to the nails of the crucifixion of Christ.

“I should explain that among the books that recently arrived at the office was a slim volume from his pen dealing with the Preparatory School and giving it an enthusiastic build-up. The formative years which we spent there, he said, were the happiest of our life.”
“Gadzooks!”

1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter II:

(archaic, minced oath) An expression of surprise, shock, etc.


yiff

Yiff was part of a range of onomatopoeic words from a pseudo-language called Foxish used by the furry role-playing community, ostensibly created by a user named LittleFox or Foxen around 1990. Other terms used by this community included yip, yerf, yaff, yarf, growf, and growlf. Yiff originally meant yes or an exuberant hello. According to LittleFox, the sexual connotations of yiff were influenced by yipp (derived from yip), which originally held these sexual connotations. By 1992, yiff had been assigned a meaning of a sexual proposition, and in modern use within the furry subculture, yiff exclusively refers either to sex between anthropomorphic animals, or pornographic depictions thereof.

(onomatopoeic, apocryphal) Representing the bark of a fox (especially while mating).

(of a person, informal) To express happiness, to state that something is sexy.


tough shit

(moderately vulgar) An unsympathetic retort to someone suffering misfortune.


stow

From Middle English stowen, stawen, stewen, from Old English stōwian (“to hold back, restrain”), from Proto-Germanic *stōōną, *stōjaną (“to stow, dam up”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand, place”). Cognate with Dutch stuwen, stouwen (“to stow”), Low German stauen (“to blin, halt, hinder”), German stauen (“to halt, hem in, stow, pack”).

cog

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-stow.wav

His seconde hawke wexyd gery […]
on the rode loft
She perkyd her to rest.
The fauconer then was prest,
Came runnynge with a dow,
And cryed, ‘Stow, stow, stow!’
But she wold not bow.

c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 63, lines 66, 69–74:

(obsolete) A cry used by falconers to call their birds back down to hand.


knickers

(UK, Ireland, colloquial) A mild exclamation of annoyance.


parp

(informal) Representing the sound of a car horn, a trumpet, or breaking wind.


fut

Nay, pre-thee, fut, feere not, he's no edge-toole; you may jest with him.

My father compounded with my mother under the dragon's tail, and my nativity was under Ursa Major; so that it follows, I am rough and lecherous. Fut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in th firmament twinkled on my bastardizing.

1606, William Shakespeare, (King Lear)::

S'fut, thou liest in thy throte, thou knewst me as well as my selfe.


cope

From Middle English coupen, from Old French couper (“to strike, to cut”).

"The other guy cheated, I had no chance!" "Cope."

(derogatory) Expression of spite towards someone who suffered a major setback.


err

Err... what did you just say?

Elongated form of er (“sound of hesitation”).


touché

Borrowed from French touché, past participle of toucher (“to touch”). More at touch.

Duckie: You know what an older woman does for me?
Iona: Changes your diapers?
Duckie: Touché.

An acknowledgement of the validity, appropriateness, or superiority of an opponent's argument or statement in a discussion.


grr

grrrr

and so on, depending on length or ferocity

Grr, life is not fair.


heads up

Heads up! I'm about to let go.

Heads up! The boss is coming.

Heads up, Marines! We got trouble.

2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Avery Johnson (David Scully), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark:

(idiomatic) Used as an informal warning, caution, or call for attention; pay attention!


anytime

From Middle English any time, ony tyme, from Old English ǣniġum tīman, equivalent to any + time.

(informal) A form of you're welcome in response to thank you or thanks.


gasp

From Middle English gaspen, gayspen (“to gape, outbreathe”), related to and likely derived from Old Norse geispa (“to yawn”) or its descendant Danish gispe, which may be related to gapa (“to gape”).

Gasp! What will happen next?


yah

An alternative pronunciation, akin to yeah.

An expression uttered to encourage a horse to run faster.

hopoti-hop

expression used to encourage a horse to run faster


get it

Used to encourage someone, especially to indicate that someone is doing something well.


get it

Don't ever touch my computer. Get it?

(colloquial) Do you understand? Have you heard? (after explaining or giving an order)

Used to draw attention to a pun or other joke one has made.


tough

From Middle English tough, towgh, tou, toȝ, from Old English tōh (“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”), from Proto-West Germanic *tą̄h(ī), from Proto-Germanic *tanhuz (“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”), from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”).
Cognates
Cognate with Scots teuch (“tough”), tūch (“tough”), Dutch taai (“tough”), Low German tage, taag, taë, taa (“tough”), German zäh (“tough”), dialectal German zach (“tough; boring”).

inh

If you don't like it, tough!

(slang) Used to indicate lack of sympathy


what's eating you

You're in a bad mood today. What's eating you?

(idiomatic) What is annoying or bothering you?


tidy

From Middle English tidy, tydy, tidi (“timely, seasonal, opportune”), from tide (“time”) + -y. Cognate with Dutch tijdig (“timely”), Middle Low German tīdich (“timely”), German zeitig (“seasonal, timely”), Danish tidig (“timely”), Swedish tidig (“timely”).

(Wales) Expression of agreement or positive acknowledgement, usually in reply to a question; great, fine.


what's cooking

Hi there babe, what's cooking?

What's cooking, good-looking?

(idiomatic, informal) A greeting, similar to how are you?; what's happening?; what's up?; what's new?

(idiomatic) Expression of concern, asking for an explanation, similar to what's going on?; what's the problem?; what gives?


yuppers

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


wilco

Wilco, Bravo Six Three will take the north road. Bravo Six Four will take the south road, out.

(radio communications) Indicates agreement and compliance.


whoa

Whoa (c. 1843) is a variant of woa (c. 1840), itself a variant of wo (c. 1787), from who (c. 1450), ultimately from Middle English ho, hoo (interjection), probably from Old Norse hó! (interjection, also, a shepherd's call). Compare German ho, Old French ho ! (“hold!, halt!”).

der

Whoa, Nelly!

I can see Mickie getting hot, I'm about to grab his arm, hold him back, say, Whoa, whoa, Mick, not here, it ain't worth it what happened inside just now.

2007, Ron Liebman, Death by Rodrigo, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 134:

Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.

Whoa, are you serious?

Whoa. Wait a minute, Doc. Are you trying to tell me that my mother has got the hots for me?

1985, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Back to the Future, spoken by Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox):

Jen: Douglas has asked me to be his PA.
Moss: Oh. My. God! Well, that is something and a half. His PA? How... Whoa! His PA... Shut up! His PA!
Jen: It means "personal assistant".
Moss: Thank you. Right, OK.

2007 September 28, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, season 2, episode 6:

I am the type who is liable to snipe you
With two seconds left to go, whoa.

And oh whoa girl, it's a shame.
Oh whoa girl, it's a doggone shame.

Used as a meaningless filler in song lyrics.


bleh

―What did you think of the movie? ―Bleh. You?

(slang) Used to reflect general indifference to a situation or topic.

(slang) An expression of mild disgust, possible imitative of vomiting


ha-ha

onomatopoeic

Imitative

An approximation of the sound of laughter.

けけけ

hehehe, ehe (see heh), o-hohohoho, and kekeke


dum

I like to hang out with friends and travel the world. But if there's one thing I really love, it's Doctor Who. Dum de dum, dum de dum, dum de dum. Whooo-eee-oooo dum de dum, de dum de dum.

2012, Graeme Burk, Robert Smith, Who is the Doctor:


my foot

Aerodynamics, my foot! The thing drives like a billboard.

"He's clever at his business," Matilda said.
"Clever my foot!" the Trunchbull shouted.

(idiomatic) Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.

muka

Indicates disapproval, disregard or disbelief

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see my, foot.


chaptzem

From Yiddish כאַפּטסעם (khaptsem), from כאַפּן (khapn, “to catch, get”) and אים (im, “him”).


golly

Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God′s body”.

“Golly! What would dad say if I did marry him?”

“By golly, I don′t see how you done that without seein′ it happen,” exclaimed Slim, looking very dazed and mystified.

1906, B. M. Bower, Chip of the Flying U, page 88:

“Got anybody else staying at the old snake pit?” “Five inmates in all.” “Five?” I resumed my tongue-clicking. “Golly! Uncle Tom must be frothing at the mouth a bit,” I said, for I knew the old buster's distaste for guests in the home. Even a single weekender is sometimes enough to make him drain the bitter cup.
[...]
 “Bertie! Your manner is strange.” “Your manner would be strange if you'd been sitting on the floor of Wilbert Cream's sleeping apartment with a chair round your neck, and Ma Cream had come in.” “Golly! Did she?” “In person.”
[...]
 “And after I had seethed for a bit I rose from my chair, took pen in hand and wrote Bobbie a stinker.” “Oh, gosh!” “I put my whole soul into it.” “Oh, golly!”

1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter I, VIII, and X:


ya

Apparently from German ja and cognates in other Germanic languages; related to English yeah.


ya

(informal) Go. (Spoken to horses and cattle.)


wo

A call to cause a horse to slow down or stop; whoa.


blah

* Sense “Idle, meaningless talk” (1940), probably imitative or echoic in origin. Compare Greek "barbarbar” ‘unintelligible sounds’ (Grillo 1989:174).
* Adjective sense “bland, dull” (1919), perhaps influenced by French blasé (“bored, indifferent”).
* The blahs (“boredom, mild depression”) first attested 1969; extension of adjective sense and influenced by term the blues.
* Also may be connected with bleat
GRILLO, R.D. 1989. Dominant languages: Language and hierarchy in Britain and France. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

onom

imitative

Blah! Why can't I get this computer to work!

Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah, Mom, you said this all yesterday.

And then he was like, "Oh, my brother's an Internet millionaire, blah blah blah." Like I care!

(When spoken repeatedly, often three times in succession: blah blah blah!) Imitative of idle, meaningless talk; used sometimes in a slightly derogatory manner to mock or downplay another's words, or to show disinterest in a diatribe, rant, instructions, unsolicited advice, parenting, etc. Also used when recalling and retelling another's words, as a substitute for the portions of the speech deemed irrelevant.

When spoken repeatedly; often three times in succession: blah blah blah!; When spoken repeatedly; often three times in succession: blah blah blah!


haha

From Middle English haha, ha ha, from Old English ha ha (interjection), ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Frisian haha (interjection), Middle Low German hahā, hahahā (interjection), Middle High German hahā, haha (interjection), all expressions of joy or of laughter.

An onomatopoeic representation of laughter.


flip

Impossible. He's dining out and coming on here after. He can't be reached. / Oh, flip!

1967, Peter Shaffer, Black comedy, including White lies: two plays:

"Oh flip, don't come near this place," she said. It was dangerous. The Catholics had banners up on the Garvaghy Road saying, 'No Protestants here'.

2000, Susan McKay, Northern Protestants:

(UK, euphemistic, colloquial) Used to express annoyance, especially when the speaker has made an error.


wham

Wham! The truck hit the wall.

I was off duty, minding my own business, […] when I heard a gun go off. Wham! it roared, not more than twenty feet from me, and then, in quick succession, wham—wham!

1950 July 22, Ferguson Findley, “Waterfront”, in Louis Ruppel, editor, Collier's: Incorporating Features of the American Magazine, Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, page 16:

Our relationship was going smoothly and then wham! Out of nowhere he told me he was leaving me for another woman.

Wham! Overnight he [Dwight D. Eisenhower] became a warmonger.

1952 September 22, “Since Stevenson Prefers 'Compromise', Foreign Policy Is Squarely in the Campaign”, in LIFE, volume 33, number 12, Time Inc., →ISSN, page 30:

I'll look the exact same way for a decade, and then— wham!— God hits the progeria switch and for two years the downhill plunge begins anew.

2008 August 5, Douglas Coupland, “40 on the Outside, 30 on the Inside: My theory of how men really age”, in Best Life, volume 5, number 6, Rodale, Inc., →ISSN, page 77:

Used to indicate something sudden, unanticipated, and dramatic has occurred.


ditto

First attested in 1625. From regional Italian ditto, variant of detto, past participle of dire (“to say”), from Latin dīcō (“I say, I speak”). Not related to English dittography or Italian dito (“finger”).
The specific meaning of making copies of paper comes from ditto machine, the brand name of a spirit duplicator.

I'm really busy today! —Ditto!

"Besides, if I'm only a sort of thing in his dream, what are you, I should like to know?" "Ditto," said Tweedledum. "Ditto, ditto!" cried Tweedledee.

1871 December 27 (indicated as 1872), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Tweedledum and Tweedledee”, in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 82:

Used as an expression of agreement with what another person has said, or to indicate that what they have said equally applies to the person being addressed.


egad

(surprise):

O here a' comes—Ah my Hector of Troy, vvelcome my Bully, my Back; agad my heart has gone a pit pat for thee.

1693, [William] Congreve, The Old Batchelour, a Comedy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Peter Buck, […], →OCLC, Act II, page 11:

[…] She's in love, egad, […]

(Can we date this quote?), Anton Chekhov, The Marriage Proposal:

(dated) A mild exclamation of contempt, surprise, outrage, etc.


ugh

Ugh! The bread in the pantry has gone moldy.

[...] It may have been a water-rat I speared, / But, ugh! it sounded like a baby's shriek.

1855, Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, section XXI:

"Ugh, what a smell of Christian blood there is here," screamed the giant.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 57:

Ugh, you can't take that bitch nowhere

2023, “Paint The Town Red”, in Scarlet, performed by Doja Cat:

Used to express repugnance, disgust, or annoyance.

The brothers surveyed the wide prospect earnestly. "Ugh!" said one abruptly and pointed. "Ugh!" cried his brother. The eyes of the whole tribe swung round to the pointing finger. The group became one rigid stare.

1921, H.G. Wells, “The Grisly Folk”, in Selected Short Stories, published 1958, page 291:

Used to express inarticulate vocalisations, such as used by a caveman.


get in

- You gained full marks in the exam.
- Get in!

(UK, slang) An exclamation of joy at one's success.


sir-reverence

An alteration of save-reverence or "save your reverence" (seen e.g. in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, act 1 scene 4), an apology for alluding to anything likely to shock one's sense of decency.

(obsolete) Used apologetically when something offensive is mentioned.


prithee

What tidings send our scouts? I prithee, speak.

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):


rats

(informal) Expression of annoyance or disgust; damn, darn.

"It's damned clever - fair puzzles 'em every time. How d'ye get them?" "I tell you I don't. It's outside myself." "Rats! You can tell me, Tom. I'm Griffiths, the safe man."

1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:


cock-a-doodle-do

Alternative spelling of cock-a-doodle-doo


gardyloo

From Edinburgh Scots gardyloo, from a corruption of medieval French gardez l’eau (“mind the water”).

[A]ll the chairs in the family are emptied into this here barrel once a-day; and at ten o'clock at night the whole cargo is flung out of a back windore that looks into some street or lane, and the maid calls Gardy loo to the passengers, which signifies, Lord have mercy upon you! and this is done every night in every house at Haddingborough; so you may guess, Mary Jones, what a sweet savour comes from such a number of profuming pans […]

1771, Tobias Smollet, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Dublin: Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders, W. Sleater, D. Chamberlain [and ten others], OCLC 277265635, republished in The Novels of Tobias Smollett, M.D.: viz. Roderick Random, Peregrine Pickle, and Humphrey Clinker (Ballantyne's Novelist's Library; II), London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., 1821, OCLC 271400557, page 626

It would, in fact, seem as if a tacit agreement existed, that so soon as St Giles' clock struck ten, the windows were simultaneously opened for a general discharge (which, in 1745, must have rather alarmed Prince Charles' followers, when they had possession of the town), and the streets and closes resounded with one universal cry, Gardyloo! Dr Jamieson, in his Dictionary, gives the word as Jordeloo: I doubt if any such word was ever used; but in his Supplement the learned Doctor properly assigns it to the original French phrase, Gare de l'eau—Beware the water […]

1858, David Laing, “Proposals for Cleaning and Lighting the City of Edinburgh (with Original Signatures of a Number of the Principal Inhabitants), in the Year 1735: With Explanatory Remarks”, in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Sessions MDCCCLVII.–VIII.—MDCCCLIX.–LX., Edinburgh: Printed for the Society by Neill and Company, published 1862, →OCLC, page 177:

Gardyloo is a word logophiles find irresistible. According to Ms. Sperling, gardyloo was, "in old Edinburgh, a warning cry before throwing dirty water from windows into the street in the 1770s. […]"

The method of garbage disposal in the Old Town was to shout ‘Gardy-loo’ and throw everything out the window. Gardy-loo was a warped version of gardez l'eau (approximately French for ‘watch out for the water’) – except it wasn't just water the warning referred to. […] [A] cry of ‘Gardy-loo’ was greeted by the return screech of ‘Haud yer haun’ (hold your hand). This would give you time to get into a doorway and all you suffered was a few splatters.

1999, Jan-Andrew Henderson, The Town Below the Ground: Edinburgh's Legendary Underground City, Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing Company, published 2007, →ISBN:

His eyes grew wide in revulsion when he realized what had just landed on him. His shout ripped through the midnight sky like a knife. "Gardyloo! Gardyloo! You are supposed to yell gardyloo before you throw your chamber pot out the window! You repulsive vermin, come down here so I can bash in your head!"

2015, Marilee Jackson, chapter 37, in Midnight Runner, Springville, Utah: Sweetwater Books, →ISBN:

(Scotland, obsolete) Used by people in medieval Scotland to warn passers-by of waste about to be thrown from a window into the street below. The term was still in use as late as the 1930s and 1940s, when many people had no indoor toilets.


toodle-oo

In one of the country gardens two gaily-dressed young coster girls are sitting and chatting with the cottager and his wife. They sit among the flowers and look for all the world like young London lasses who have come to the village to astonish the country folks with their town finery. When they rise and bid the old folks good-bye, and coming through the little wicket stand for a moment at the wooden palings to say “Toodle-oo” in the cheeriest of Cockney accents, we are at first astonished. For a moment my colleague and I had imagined we were in a rural hamlet and in the heart of green England.

1904 September, George R. Sims, “Off The Track in London V.--Round Hackney Wick”, in The Strand Magazine, London: George Newnes, Ltd., archived from the original on 2016-08-22, page 329:

"In that case," said Archie, relieved, "cheerio, good luck, pip-pip, toodle-oo, and good-bye-ee! I'll be shifting!"

1921, P. G. Wodehouse, Indiscretions of Archie, ch. XIII. Rallying Round Percy:


bump

From Early Modern English bump (“a shock, blow from a collision”), probably of North Germanic origin; compare Danish bump (“a thump”), Danish bumpe (“to thump”), Old Danish bumpe (“to strike with a clenched fist”), all probably of imitative origin.
Apparently related to Middle English bumben, bummen (“to make a hollow noise”), Dutch bommen (“to hum, buzz”), German Low German bumsen (“to bump, push”), German bummen (“to hum, buzz”), Icelandic bumba (“drum”). More at bum, bumble. Compare also bomb.

onom

imitative

cog

(Internet) Posted in an Internet forum thread in order to raise the thread's profile by returning it to the top of the list of active threads.


goodness

From Middle English goodnesse, godnesse, from Old English gōdnes (“goodness; virtue; kindness”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdnassī (“goodness”), equivalent to good + -ness. Cognate with Scots guidness (“goodness”), West Frisian goedens (“goodness”), Old High German guotnessī (“goodness”), Middle High German guotnisse (“goodness”), Russian годность (godnostʹ, “suitability, fitness”).


fiddlesticks

Circa 1600, England. From fiddlestick, from the late Middle English fidillstyk (“violin bow”).

der

Fiddlesticks! It's nothing but smoke and mirrors!

Golden pleasures! golden fiddlesticks!—What d'ye tell me of your canting stuff?

1701, George Farquhar, Sir Harry Wildair, act 4, scene 2; republished in The Dramatic Works of George Farquhar, volume 1, London: John C. Nimmo, 1892, page 295:

"Taken the veil—taken fiddlesticks!" said the old man, merrily; "why she lives near Lincoln, is married to a substantial man, the junior partner of one of the wealthiest bankers in the county […]

'Safe? Fiddlesticks! There is no safe. Mr Lavington is an intelligent man. You will see, he will have devised a hiding-place much more intelligent than a safe. A safe is the first thing everyone looks for.'

1923 October 6, Agatha Christie, “The Case of the Veiled Lady”, in The Sketch, number 1601:

“Fiddlesticks,” Miss Jenny said. “The war just gave John a good excuse to get himself killed. If it hadn’t been that, it would have been some other way that would have been a bother to everybody around.”

1964 [1929], William Faulkner, Sartoris (The Collected Works of William Faulkner), London: Chatto & Windus, page 23:

(euphemistic) Nonsense! Expresses dismissal or disdain.

Oh, fiddlesticks! I locked my keys in the car.

(euphemistic) Darn! Expresses mild dismay or annoyance.


so long

Uncertain. Compare to Swedish hej så länge and Russian пока (poka). See Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “so long”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

(informal) Goodbye; a valediction used when leaving or departing from a person or place.


man alive

“She pretty!” “Is she not?” “No.” “Why, man alive, she was the admiration of the whole Court!”

1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book II (The Golden Thread), page 59:

We couldn't hold our own for five minutes. Man alive, they'd overwhelm us like an avalanche. Why don't they make a rush for it? I say——

c. 1921 (date written), Karel Čapek, translated by Paul Selver, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots): A Fantastic Melodrama […], Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1923, →OCLC, Act 3:

(dated) An expression of marvelment or awe


fufufu

Borrowed from Japanese ふふふ (fufufu, onomatopoeia for the sound of laughter; compare English hahaha).

ja-r

onomatopoeia for the sound of laughter; compare English <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">hahaha</i>

(onomatopoeia, fandom slang, chiefly in translations of Japanese works) The sound of laughter; especially a snicker.


coo

onomatopoeic

Imitative

I stood outside the door for a space, letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would", as Jeeves tells me cats do in adages, then turned the handle softly, pushed – also softly – and, carrying on into the interior, found myself confronted by a girl in housemaid's costume who put a hand to her throat like somebody in a play and leaped several inches in the direction of the ceiling. "Coo!" she said, having returned to terra firma and taken aboard a spot of breath. "You gave me a start, sir!" […] "If you cast an eye on him, you will see that he's asleep now." "Coo! So he is."

1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

The last track on each of the three sections is a professional course, where you can customise your bike by changing the tyres and the size of chainwheel. Coo!

1988 November, Sean Kelly, “Professional BMX Simulator [video game review]”, in Teresa Maughan, editor, Your Sinclair, number 35, London: Sportscene Specialist Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2016-05-14:

We want you to come up with a side splitting caption for a picture drawn by the fair hand of those at System 3. If you turn out to be the Funniest "Person", we'll give you a big wopping model of a dinosaur. Coo.

1989 November, “Competitions”, in Jim Douglas, editor, Sinclair User: The Independent Magazine for the Independent User, number 92, London: ECC Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2013-10-21:

Coo, I've only had four gallons of extra caffeine coffee today so I'm not my usual talking-to-PR-girlies-for-hours-on-end self. But bear with me a mo while I get myself together (audience waits for an age while he searches through his coat for the golden envelope). Here it is! Coo, and the winner is The NewZealand Story.

1990 April, “Crash Readers’ Awards Ceremony”, in Oliver Frey, editor, Crash: ZX Spectrum, number 75, [Ludlow, Shropshire]: Newsfield, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2017-06-25:

An expression of approval, fright, surprise, etc.


yup

Representing yeah pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end (excrescent IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /p/). Compare yep, nope, welp, and ope.


whiff

The noun is possibly:
* partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either:
** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or
** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and
* partly onomatopoeic.
Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses.
The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses.
The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”).

inh

Sir Willoughby, […] made to this extraordinary remonstrance no other reply than a long whiff, and a "Well, Russelton, dash my wig (a favourite oath of Sir W.'s) but you're a queer fellow."

1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XXXII, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 293:

But yonder, whiff! there comes a sudden heat, / The gravest citizen seems to lose his head, […]

1850, Alfred Tennyson, “Conclusion”, in The Princess: A Medley, 3rd edition, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 174:

Used to indicate a sound like that of air passing through a small opening, that is, a short or soft whistle.


all the best

An ellipsis for "I wish you all the best of luck" or a similar phrase.


cheese and rice

Euphemism or minced oath for Jesus Christ


take it easy

I'm going home now. Take it easy.


lah-di-dah

/ˌlɑːdiːˈdɑː/

c. 1880s, with a comeback in the 1980s due to its use in Annie Hall (1977) by Woody Allen, although in a different context, spoken by the actress Diane Keaton.

Well, lah-di-dah, mister Park Avenue manicure.

(mildly derogatory) Expression of disdain for pretension or haughtiness.

(US) Not a care in the world. (used in a sing-song voice, for childhood rhymes)


ha ha

Natural utterance first recorded in Old English; compare ha.

onomatopoeic

utterance

and cryden out harrow and weilaway
ha ha the fox and after hym they ran
and eek with staves many other man

1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The Nonnes Preestes Tale of the Cok / and Hen / Chaũtecler ⁊ Ꝑtelote”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 106, verso:

And cried, "Help! Help and alas!
Ha, ha! The fox!" and after him they ran,
And also with staves many another man.

A defiant expression used to tease somebody.


tweet

Onomatopoeic of the sound made by a bird. Compare twitter. The social media senses evolved from earlier Twitter update, twit (noun), twitter (verb).

I've got two loves / And they go tweet (×9) like little birds

1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “Love → Building On Fire”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads:

Used to represent the sound of a bird twittering: twit.

啾

used to represent the sound of a bird twittering


lolz

A corruption of lol, probably a leet variation, treated as if it were a noun rather than an interjection and pluralized in a deliberately unconventional manner using the -z suffix.

1999:"you mean "C"hina??? lolz!!!" — http://groups-beta.google.com/group/talk.politics.tibet/msg/74bdbd4eb17f4b22

2000, lolz... I hear some little clicking sounds coming from my modem:

2003, lolz... Yeah, I've got a bunch of system-event waves of Jeri Ryan. (Seven of Nine):

(Internet slang, leetspeak) Used to express laughter, often in a sarcastic fashion.


peekaboo

Boo (when showing oneself unexpectedly).


ho-hum

Look at all this paperwork. Ho-hum!

(dated, US, Canada) Used to express boredom, uninterest or lack of novelty.

hohhoijaa

interjection used to express boredom, disinterest or lack of novelty


lawks

"Lawks! how uncomfortable," said the cook. "And M. Henri, was he wet too?"

"Your civic pride does you credit," said Hwel. "And now, please, leave the cart. I'm sure you've got some wood to gather. Lawks."

(UK, dialectal) Lord! (especially as an expression of surprise)


fuck off

Alex Forrest: Please don't justify yourself, it's pathetic. If you'd tell me to fuck off, I'd have more respect for you.
Dan Gallagher: All right, then. Fuck off.

(vulgar, slang, dismissal) Go away! Get lost!

menj/tűnj/húzz/takarodj a faszba/faszomba/gecibe/picsába/kurva anyádba

Fuck off! You are joking, aren't you?

(vulgar, slang) An expression of disagreement or disbelief.


hold the phone

Hold the phone! We've had this problem before, with the other machine.


you don't say

They're going to have a baby? You don't say!

Hey, guess what? There's a country called Brazil! –You don't say.

A recent article about Barbie in the New Yorker quoted no less a figure than Gerwig’s own agent as saying: “Is it a great thing that our great creative actors and film-makers live in a world where you can only take giant swings around consumer content and mass-produced products? I don’t know. But it is the business.” You don’t say.

2023 July 19, Caspar Salmon, “Has Barbie killed the indie director? Why credible film-makers are selling out”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Really?; no kidding!; is that so? (sometimes used sarcastically in response to the obvious)

难道...

followed by a clause, not used separately


ope

Representing oh pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end (IPA⁽ᵏᵉʸ⁾: /oʊp/, [oʊp̚]) (excrescent /p/). Compare yep, yup, nope, and welp.

Ope! Sorry about that.

Ope, let me just squeeze past ya there.

We're Midwesterners. We like long walks through frozen cornfields. Ope! Watch out!

2024 January 27, Charlie Berens and Myles Montplaisir, We're Midwesterners:

(US, chiefly Midwestern US) An exclamation of surprise; oops.


not at all

[ˈnɒtʰəˈtʰɔːɫ]

[ˈnɔɾəˈɾoːɫ]

Thank you for this very thoughtful present. — Not at all.

(idiomatic) Used similarly to you're welcome, as a conventional reply to an expression of gratitude.

عَفْوًا

conventional reply to expression of gratitude

(idiomatic) Don't worry about it (response to worry or an apology)


kerching

Imitative of the sound made by an old-fashioned cash register when an amount is rung up.

I asked a smiling lawyer what she thought of this policy. She replied, 'I have one word to say on the prospect of taking MPs to court: "Kerching!"'

2010, Mark Thomas, The People's Manifesto:

(onomatopoeia, informal, humorous) Suggesting the arrival of a large amount of money.


uffdah

A term with Scandinavian origins (either Swedish or Norwegian).

(US) A term for sensory overload. Can be used as an expression of surprise, astonishment and sometimes dismay.


charming

/ˈtʃɑː(ɹ).mɪŋ/

From Middle English charmynge; equivalent to charm + -ing.

The other murderer is sadistically hacked to pieces, while the proceedings are being videoed – and the DVD is sent to Nick's home so that his daughter can see it. Oh, charming.

2009 November 26, Peter Bradshaw, “Review: Law Abiding Citizen”, in The Guardian:

(chiefly British, ironic) Used in response to behaviour or language considered offensive or uncouth.


cha-ching

Onomatopoeic, imitative of the sound of a mechanical cash register when an amount is rung up. Popularized by the 1992 movie Wayne's World and by a 1992 advertisement featuring Seth Green.
The spoken term is also, in the US, a trademarked sound of Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc..

Cha-ching! More profit, more jobs.

1998, Media Foundation, chapter I, in Adbusters, volume 6, page 49:

Score!; wow!; said to celebrate something that has made or will make lots of money.


thankee

"Thankee," said the knight politely, as he took a pinch and sneezed seven times so violently that his head fell off.

1868, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 12, in Little Women:

"Thankee, Sir."

1874, Anthony Trollope, chapter 10, in Harry Heathcote of Gangoil:


sacré bleu

A corruption of the French euphemistic oath sacrebleu.

(dated or humorous, hyperforeign) An expression of surprise, exasperation, or dismay; good heavens; oh my gosh.


hella

Related to "a hell of a". Originally Northern California slang. Compare helluv, helluva.

"We definitely rocked that shit man!"
"Hella!"

(slang, chiefly Northern California) For sure; totally; hell yeah; used as a strong affirmation of something that was just said, accomplished, or revealed.


oww

(text messaging, regional) Alternative spelling of aww, indicating affection or disappointment


nyet

"Nyet," he said with an impatient wave, and walked into the cold night.

1990 December 31, F. Coleman, “A Soviet Bombshell”, in Newsweek, volume 116, number 27, page 50:

Nyet problem, Sarge.

2010 Oct, John G. Hemry, “The Rift”, in Analog Science Fiction & Fact, volume 130, number 10, page 9:


thwack

The verb is probably:
* partly onomatopoeic, from the sound of something being beaten (compare whack); and
* partly derived from Late Middle English twakken, twake (“to hit (someone) with something; to pat; to stroke”), probably from Middle English thakken, thakke (“to dab; to pat; to stroke”) [and other forms] (whence thack (obsolete except Britain, dialectal)), from Old English þaccian (“to beat; to pat; to touch softly, stroke; to strike gently, clap, tap”), from Proto-West Germanic *þakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *þakwōną (“to pat; to tap; to touch”), from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- (“to grasp with the hand; to touch”). Doublet of tangent.
The noun and interjection are derived from the verb.
cognates
* Latin tangō (“touch”)
* Old Dutch þakolōn (“to stroke”)
* Old Norse þykkr (“a blow, thump, thwack”) (Icelandic þjaka, þjökka (“to beat, thump, thwack”); Norwegian tjåka (“to strike, beat”))

cog

Three watrie clowds ſhymring toe the craft they rampired hizzing, / Three whern's fierd gliſtring, with ſouthwynds rufflered huffling. / Now doe they rayſe gaſtly lightnings, now griſlye reboundings / Of ruffe raffe roaring, mens harts with terror agryſing. / With peale meale ramping, with thwick thwack ſturdilye thundring.

1582, Virgil, “[Here after Ensue Certayne Poetical Conceites. […].] The Description of Liparen, […].”, in Richard Stanyhurst, transl., The First Foure Bookes of Virgils Æneis, […], London: Henrie Bynneman […], published 1583, →OCLC; republished as The First Four Books of the Æneid of Virgil, […], Edinburgh: [Edinburgh Printing Company], 1836, →OCLC, page 142:

And then—Thwack! Anne had brought her slate down on Gilbert's head and cracked it—slate, not head—clear across.

1908 June, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, “A Tempest in the School Teapot”, in Anne of Green Gables, Boston, Mass.: L[ouis] C[oues] Page & Company, published August 1909 (11th printing), →OCLC, page 156:

Used to represent the dull or heavy sound of someone or something being hit or slapped.

plätsis

used to represent the dull or heavy sound of someone or something being hit or slapped


fu

(Internet slang) Initialism of fuck you.


shpadoinkle

Coined 1993 by Trey Parker in film Cannibal! The Musical as a nonsense word. Later used in episode “The Gift” (May 22, 2001) of TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon, thence popularized by fans.

Holy Shpadoinkle Danny, you killed like, everything in town.

2007. James M. Stillwell. Stand Strong Crew: A Super Tale

(slang, US) An exclamation meaning "great" or denoting surprise.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cannibal! The Musical
Joss Whedon
Trey Parker


capisce

Borrowed (with a change of spelling reflecting the slang pronunciation) from Italian capisci, the second-person singular present indicative form of capire (“to understand”).

Brodka: Hey, kid: one more thing. If you ever set foot in this store again, you'll be spending Christmas in juvenile hall. Capisce?
Bart: [silence]
Brodka: Well, do you understand?
Bart: Everything except "capisce."

1995, “Marge Be Not Proud”, in The Simpsons, Bart Simpson (actor):

Gino Marzzone: You gotta start respecting Johnny, the way you respect me. Capisce?

1996, The Wachowskis, Bound, Dino de Laurentiis Productions and Spelling Films:

It's very simple, George, you forget about this whole licensing lawsuit pipe dream of yours or you can forget about your buddy working in my factory for the next couple of years. I will be that angry. Capiche?

1997, Eric Bogosian, Notes from Underground, page 138:

I mean, if you were coming into the plant for the long haul, God forbid, then you'd have to think seriously about the money. Capiche?

2003, Richard Chiappone, Water of an Undetermined Depth:

"That being said, if you hurt my boy I will introduce you to a whole new realm of pain and suffering. We're talking stuff that would make Heironymous^([sic]) Bosch shit his britches, capisce?"

2005, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content (webcomic), Number 459: All Cards On The Table Please:

Tape: And you, origami kid? Be a good goil and run back to Olly. It's past your beddy-bye time, capisce?

2020 July 17, Intelligent Systems, Paper Mario: The Origami King, Nintendo, level/area: Sea Tower:


hot dog

1894 (US college slang) from hot + dog (in reference to supposed source of the meat), both the sense of frankfurter in a roll, and of show-off.

com

He patted his lap for her to sit on. Hot dog, I said to myself; settin' on his lap!

1954, Oren Arnold, The Golden Chair, Elsevier, page 249:

"Anybody with an alibi they can tell me?" I said.
No one said anything.
"Hot dog!" I said.

2006, Robert B. Parker, Hundred-Dollar Baby, Putnam, →ISBN, page 140:


nom

Onomatopoeic, variant of num, num-num. Attested 2004 as om nom, om nom nom, popularized from 2007 in internet use, second place in American Dialect Society "Word of the Year" 2010. From the catchphrase of Cookie Monster on Sesame Street, as at the end of “C Is For Cookie” (1971), made when devouring cookies. However, as late as 2009, this was canonically written with a ‘u’, as in S is For School! (2006), as “num num”, or in the press kit for the 40th season (2009), as “un num num num num”; by 2013 this was changed to the now-popular nom.

[to a baby] You are so cute, I could just eat you right up! Nom nom nom.

(colloquial) Used to denote eating, or enjoyment of eating. Commonly used as "nom nom nom".

mjam mjam

interjection to denote enjoyment of eating


cringe

→ Arabic: كْرِنْج (krinj) (slang)

→ Armenian: քրինջ (kʻrinǰ) (slang)

desc

→ Belarusian: крынж (krynž), крындж (kryndž) (slang)

→ Bulgarian: криндж (krindž) (slang)

→ Georgian: ქრინჯ (krinǯ) (slang)

→ German: cringe, Cringe (slang)

→ Greek: κριντζ (krintz) (slang)

→ Hebrew: קרינג׳ (krinj), קרינצ' (krinch), קרינץ׳ (krinch) (slang)

→ Italian: cringe (slang)

→ Japanese: クリンジ (kurinji) (slang)

→ Lithuanian: krindžas (slang)

→ Polish: cringe, krindż (slang)

→ Portuguese: cringe (slang)

→ Romanian: cringe (slang)

→ Russian: кринж (krinž) (slang)

→ Serbo-Croatian:

Latin script: krindž (slang)

Cyrillic script: кринџ (slang)

→ Spanish: cringe (slang)

→ Swedish: cringe (slang)

→ Turkish: krınj (slang)

→ Ukrainian: криндж (kryndž), крінж (krinž) (slang)

Charles Reade
The Cloister and the Hearth
zero derivation

The verb is derived from Middle English crengen (“to bend in a haughty manner; to condescend”) [and other forms], from Old English *crenċan, *crenċġan, *crenġan (“to cause to fall or turn”), the causative of crinċġan (“to yield; to cringe; to fall; to die, perish”), from Proto-Germanic *krangijaną (“to cause to fall; to cause to turn”), from Proto-Germanic *kringaną, *krinkaną (“to fall; to turn; to yield”) (from Proto-Indo-European *grenǵʰ- (“to turn”)) + *-janą (suffix forming causatives with the sense ‘to cause to do (the action of the verb)’ from strong verbs). The English word is cognate with Danish krænge (“to turn inside out, evert”), Dutch krengen (“to careen, veer”), Scots crenge, creenge, creinge, crienge (“to cringe; to shrug”), Swedish kränga (“to careen; to heel, lurch; to toss”), and West Frisian kringe (“to pinch; to poke; to push; to insist, urge”); and is a doublet of crinkle.
The noun and adjective are derived from the verb via zero derivation.

ref

From Charles Reade (1861) chapter XXXIII, in The Cloister and the Hearth: A Tale of the Middle Ages, illustrated library edition, volume II (The Autobiography of a Thief), Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Colonial Press Company, published c. 1900, →OCLC, illustration between pages 312 and 313.

nb...

crenche, crenchen, crenge, *crinchen, crinken

cog

(slang, derogatory) Stated in response to something cringeworthy.


ROTFLMAO

Contraction of ROTFL + LMAO. Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass/Arse Off.

(Internet) Used to express great amusement.


unquote

From un- + quote; possibly an eggcorn of end quote.

Telegram for the Dover Boys, Messrs. Tom, Dick and Larry, care of Wayward Tavern, Upper Bottleneck, New York, sirs, quote, HEEEELP!, unquote, signed Dora. 35 cents collect.

1942, “The Dover Boys at Pimento University” (1:53 from the start), in Chuck Jones, director, Merrie Melodies, spoken by Telegram Boy:

Mackerras himself wrote, and I quote: "He is a prostitute, whose liaisons with perverts and sodomites were commonplace in his brief and forgettable career at Caius. Lock up the silverware." Unquote.

2012, Jim Broadbent as Vyvyan Ayrs, Cloud Atlas, circa 1:28:04

Used in speech to indicate the end of a quotation.


auf Wiedersehen

Borrowed from German auf Wiedersehen (“goodbye”).


yahoo

"Yahoooooo! Give her some stick!"

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 521:


congrats

You were cast in the show? Congrats!


shazbot

Popularised by the character Mork (played by Robin Williams) on the American television sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978).

Shazbot, I missed!

1978 February 28, “My Favorite Orkan”, in Happy Days, season 5, episode 22, spoken by Mork (Robin Williams):

I spent the next frantic seconds (felt like a year, actually) trying to disentangle myself from the pole while the crowd and the contestants guffawed. Shazbot!

2005 December 29, Diablo Cody, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, Gotham, →ISBN, →OL, page 26:

When I lurch back toward where I can make out what CNN is saying, CNN has broken for commercial. Shazbot!

2011 May 10, Roy Blount Jr., Alphabetter Juice: or, The Joy of Text, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, →OL, page 149:

(slang) An excited utterance used to convey disappointment, particularly as a euphemism for shit.


kinda

Written form of a reduction or pronunciation spelling of kind of.

"Are you afraid of a little bit of rain?" "Kinda, yeah."

Ah, I see. Meely doesn't tease you. You're best friends, is that right? / Kinda.

2000, Ken Wells, Meely LaBauve, New York: Random House, →ISBN, page 212:

Yes in some respects but no in other respects.


namaste

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste, literally “salutation to you”).

lbor

First of all, Namaste to you! It is my sincere hope that the words of this book will assist you in living with full appreciation for all the moments of your life. Remember that each one is special and brings something to your life[…]

2011 October 1, Cheri Ruskus, Victory One Moment at a Time: Unlocking the Power of the Master Mind, Morgan James Publishing, →ISBN:

I shuffled from one foot to the other outside the room, as I delayed going in. Finally, I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and knocked on the door. 'Come in.' It seemed that Vimla was expecting me. 'Namaste.' She said, and gestured for me ...

2013, Susan Clare, Namaste Baby: A Journey to Surrogacy in India, Troubador Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 241:

"What a lovely wedding for you both. Namaste," he said, his hands in prayer formation, his smile wide and confident and sincere. “Congratulations to you both.” “Thank you, Father,” Brian said. “Namaste to you, sir,” Priya added.

2020 August 17, Paul Bouchard, Priya’s Choice, iUniverse, →ISBN:

A greeting in contexts relating to Indian culture or the New Age movement.


ner

Formed by onomatopoeia. The extended form is neener.

You're wrong, so ner!

I don't care what you think, so ner!

I've got more sweets than you. Ner ner ner ner ner!

(slang, childish) An interjection generally used when gloating about a perceived cause of humiliation or inferiority for the person being addressed, often when disagreeing with a statement considered incorrect or irrelevant.


gotcha

Gotcha! Go on in...

I got you covered, I got your back (said by a speaker who has an advantage or responsibility over someone).

Gotcha! And don't ever do that to me again.

I caught you (as when successfully bringing someone to reckoning or effecting some form of retribution).

Gotcha! You never noticed the whoopie cushion!

I got you by surprise (indicating a successful trick or prank).

Gotcha! You just want me to stay here for now.


ew

Onomatopoeic, ideophonic. Compare oh, ugh.

Ew! There’s a fly in my soup.

Ew! This peanut butter tastes disgusting!


fie

From Latin fī via Old French and Middle English (with a possible additional influence from Old Norse). Compare Swedish fy.

Fie, fie, vnknit that thretaning vnkinde brovv, / And dart not ſcornefull glances from thoſe eies, / To vvound thy Lord, thy King, thy Gouernour.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 229, column 1:

Bian[ca]. I am no ſtrumpet, but of life as honeſt, / As you, that thus abuſe me. / Em[ilia]. As I: fough, fie vpon thee.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 89:

"Fie upon them, forgetting their philosophy!"

1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

I pleaded with my companions to spare his life, and they said, ‘Fie! shame upon you! You have a Chinese heart.’ Then they turned upon me to kill me as well, so I withdrew my petition. After that they cut off the woodsman's head, and we returned home.

1920 March, Alice Ballantine Kirjassoff (quote sourced to Kim Soan), “Formosa the Beautiful”, in National Geographic, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, pages 284–285:

But the orthodox scientific world says fie! to the religious impulse. The scientist wants to discover a cause for everything.

1922, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Introduction”, in Fantasia of the Unconscious, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, page 4:

(archaic) Sometimes followed by on or upon: used to express distaste, disgust, or outrage.


psych

Here, have fifty dollars. Psych! That was two dollars!

I broke up with my ex girl. Here's her number. Psych! That's the wrong number!

(slang) Indicating that one's preceding statement was false and that one has successfully fooled one's interlocutor.

Psych! I just found my missing bracelet!

(dated, slang) An interjection of surprised happiness.


condolences

From Latin condoleo (“I feel another's pain”).

uder

"What were you doing at the cemetery?"
 "Burying my father."
 "Oh." Rodionov grunted as if he had expected a more imaginative excuse. "Condolences."

1992, Martin Cruz Smith, Red Square, page 120:

Let's get another caller on the line. This is Camille. Camille with us from Visalia in California.
 Visalia, California that's correct.
 Go ahead please.
 Hi. I'm an African-American woman and when I first saw the cover – let me preface this. I'm in central California, which is very conservative. And...
 Condolences.

2008 July 15, NPR, “When Does It Go Too Far?”, in Talk of the Nation:

Expressing sympathy to someone, especially after learning of a close death.


what a way to go

(set phrase) A remark on the unfortunate, exceptional, or unusual nature of somebody's death.


hasta

From Spanish hasta (“until”), especially hasta luego (“until later”).


cripes

(euphemistic) A mild curse or expression of surprise.


yikes

Attested from mid-20th century, perhaps derived from yoicks, a hunting call used to urge hounds after a fox, which is attested from 1765–1775, that also is sometimes used as an exclamation of excitement or triumph. Yoicks is perhaps related to the earlier hoicks. Hoicks (alternatively hoick, hoic or hoik) is a variant of hyke, which was used as an exclamation of encouragement to hounds hunting deer. Further etymology unknown.
Alternatively, it may be derived from yipes, which is an earlier exclamation of similar usage as yikes (and is often considered to be an alternative form of yikes). Yipes may be derived from yipe, which itself may be derived from the yie sound often used to express pain or dismay, with the -p adding onto it in the same way as yep and nope. Or, yipes may be derived from the yipping sound that dogs make.
Or, possibly a conflation of both of the previous.

wow

Wow!; Note: can also be used for a pleasant surprise

Yikes! A monster!

Then she told me I was ‘beautiful, for a black girl’. —Yikes!

John has lost his job and can't pay his mortgage; yikes!

Expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances.

ve

expression of empathy with unpleasant or undesirable circumstances


way to go

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-way to go.wav

The team finished ahead of schedule and under budget. Way to go!

An expression of congratulations, encouragement, or approval.

好样的，加油！

expression of congrats, encouragement or approval


nm

A: well r u goi – B: huh? – A: nm tht was a mistake

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of never mind.


all right

All right, let's go then.

Presently there came a loud ring, then a decided voice, asking for 'Mr. Laurie', and a surprised-looking servant came running up to announce a young lady. "All right, show her up, it's Miss Jo," said Laurie, going to the door of his little parlor to meet Jo, who appeared, looking rosy and quite at her ease, with a covered dish in one hand and Beth's three kittens in the other.

Used to affirm, indicate agreement, or consent.

حَسَنًا

Used to affirm, indicate agreement, or consent (1)

All right! They scored!

Used to indicate support, favor or encouragement.

prima

Used to indicate support, favor or encouragement (2)

All right, so what you suggest we do next?

All right, let's get started.

dus

Used as a general lead-in or beginning (4)

All right, already! Let me finish what I was doing first, and then we can talk.

Used to express exasperation or frustration, often reduplicated or with already.

no niin

Used to express exasperation or frustration, often with already (5)

schon gut

occasionally doubled in case of impatience, e. g. when the one you're speaking to takes too long to get to the point

All right, mate, how are things with you and the missus?

(UK, informal) Term of greeting, equivalent to how are you or hello.

mitäs sä

a greeting, roughly equivalent to how are you (6)


mercy

From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Old English mildheortnes. Cognate with French merci.

Mercy! Look at the state of you!


Amen

Alternative letter-case form of amen (“so be it; may it be done”).


Bingo

The discovery of this woman’s body suddenly threw a complex of apparently unrelated incidents into an integrated whole. You grind away at routine, you collect a vast amount of data ninety-per-cent of which is useless and then—some thing happens and Bingo—the other ten-per-cent sits up like Jacky and Bob’s your uncle.

1968, Ngaio Marsh, “Ramsdyke”, in Clutch of Constables, London: The Companion Book Club, →OCLC, page 125:

I have this feeling of inadequacy because I can’t have any children. As a little girl, you’re playing with dolls and all this and you’re prepared right from when you are a little one. […] You’re prepared for this whole thing and then Bingo!—you can’t and you have to start thinking differently.

1989, Kerry Daly, quoting Andrea, “Anger Among Prospective Adoptive Parents: Structural Determinants and Management Strategies”, in Clinical Sociology Review, volume 7, East Lansing, Mich.: Michigan State University Press, →ISBN, →ISSN, section “Theories and Methods of Clinical Sociology”, page 84:

"Hey Doug, what if you draw a line connecting each location; what does it look like to you?" / Doug mulls over the question for a second, sensing Marcello may be onto something. Then the light bulb goes on. "It looks like a set up for your basic three prong attack, is what it looks like." / "Exactly, Bingo . . . If you were going to hit the U.S. from the South, you would cut off the major transportation arteries and then make your push northward at three points to provide maximum flexible response."

2015 October 13, Robert Dudley, Marc A. DeSimone, Sr., “Around 3:00 A.M. Mount Weather, VA”, in Last Shepherd: A Novel, Middletown, Del., →ISBN, page 189:


bow-wow

Harke, harke, bowgh wawgh: the watch-Dogges barke, bowgh-wawgh.

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 5, column 1:

She […] hath ſtiled him with an immortall penne, the bawewawe of ſchollars, the tutt of gentlemen, the tee-heegh of gentlewomen, the phy of citizens, the blurt of Courtiers, the poogh of good letters, the faph of good manners, and the whoop-hooe of good boyes in London ſtreetes.

1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London: [s.n.], 1870], →OCLC, page 181:

Representing the sound of a dog barking.


scramble

Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectal scramble, scrammel (“to collect or rake together with the hands”), from scramb (“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) + -le (frequentative suffix) (compare Dutch schrammen (“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form of scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).

cog

(UK) Shouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.


Kappa

From English kappa, borrowed from Japanese 河童 (kappa, “water imp”). Included as an Easter Egg by an early Twitch employee.

(Internet) Used to indicate sarcasm in imitation of Kappa as used on Twitch.tv


Gemini

Perhaps identical with the above (compare Latin ēdepol (“by Pollux”), ēcastor (“by Castor”)), but perhaps more likely distinct in origin: compare Dutch jemenie, jemie, German gemine, jemine, Czech jémine, all ultimately shortened from Latin Iēsū domine (“O Lord Jesus”).

Obsolete form of jiminy (“an expression of mild surprise or annoyance”).


Polo

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

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


Batman

From bat + man; originally the Bat-Man. By surface analysis, Bat- + man.

Holy guacamole, Batman!

Holy nostalgic flashback, Batman! Aly and AJ Michalka, the actor-musician sister duo known for dominating Radio Disney in the late aughts (they’ve also released some very good music since then), just sent us straight back to our tweens by wearing none other than iconic mall brand Limited Too.

2024 July 1, Elizabeth Logan, “Aly & AJ in the New Limited Too Collection Has Me Checking What Year It Is”, in Glamour:

An intensifier for interjections created with the adjective holy, in imitation of dialogue between Batman and his sidekick Robin.


Walker

“Do you know the Poulterer’s, in the next street but one, at the corner?” Scrooge inquired.
“I should hope I did,” replied the lad.
“An intelligent boy!” said Scrooge. “A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?—Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?” […] “Go and buy it.”
“Walk-er!” exclaimed the boy.
“No, no,” said Scrooge, “I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell ’em to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I’ll give you half-a-crown!”

1843, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Stave Five:

(UK, archaic, slang) Expressing scornful rejection or disbelief.


hf

(Internet slang) Abbreviation of have fun.


br

FORTUNATO - Br... Br... It's cold... (Looks for towel.) Don't you want to freshen up a little? / PHYLLIS (without turning) No thanks. / FORTUNATO - I will not look. I'll admire the view from the window ... Like you ... (slapping his chest)[…]

1972, Mario Fratti, Theatre: The Seducers: The Roman Guest, page 32:

Br - I'm cold, friend. Why don't you make up a fire to warm us all?

1980, Vajiravudh, Pʼra Ruang: Drama in Verse, page 30:

Br ... It's freezing in here! I don't suppose they can afford heating these days...

2008, Annie Tempest, “Tottering-By-Gently”, in Country Life Illustrated, volume 202, page 96:

My hair is wet. My nose is wet. My ears are wet. My legs are wet. Blouse. Trousers. Jumper. Dress. Everything is wet! Br. It's cold. The nest is too cold. I want a house.

(rare) Alternative form of brr (“expressing cold and shivering”)


gesundheit

From German Gesundheit (literally “health”), from gesund (“healthy”). The adjective is cognate with English sound, from Old English ġesund (“sound, safe, healthy”).

Everybody Was at It, and There Was No One to Say Gesundheit

1897 July 24, “SNEEZES INTERRUPTED COURT”, in The Albany Law Journal, volume 56, number 4, page 67:

I used to play a game with David and Douggie, Dennis and Drew — stop their sneezes midsniff just by placing my pinkie finger against their nostrils and saying gesundheit before it was time.

2000, Abby Frucht, Polly's Ghost: A Novel (Fiction), Scribner, →ISBN, page 55:

(Canada, US) Said to someone who has just sneezed.

Flynn: All right, Blondie.
Rapunzel: Rapunzel!
Flynn: Gesundheit.

2010 November 5, Dan Fogelman, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, Tangled, Walt Disney Pictures:

(humorous) Said in response to a word that sounds onomatopoeically similar to a sneeze.


F

big F for google maps

2022 March 18, Linus Tech Tips, tweet by @LinusTech:

(Internet slang, Twitch) Used to indicate regret for an unfortunate event.


wacko

"Wacko! There's a whole pile of letters for me," Jennings cried excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other.

1952, Anthony Buckeridge, Jennings and Darbishire:


Judas

From Middle English Iudas, from Latin Iudas, from Ancient Greek Ἰούδας (Ioúdas), from Hebrew יְהוּדָה (y'hudá). Doublet of Judah.

(minced oath, archaic) Jesus! (an exclamation used to express shock or surprise at something negative)


D

CAPTAIN. I never use a big, big D— ALL. What, never? CAPTAIN. No, never! ALL. What, never? CAPTAIN. Hardly ever! ALL. Hardly ever swears a big, big D—

1879, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “I am the Captain of the Pinafore”, in H.M.S. Pinafore; […], San Francisco: Bacon & Company, […], →OCLC:


deiseal

Borrowed from Irish deiseal, from Old Irish dessel, from dess (“right, south”) + sel (“turn”).

If a person's meat or drink were to […] come against his breath, they instantly cry out, Deisheal! which is an ejaculation praying that it may go the right way.

1794, Statistical Account of Scotland: Perthshire, section 11.521:

A deprecation meaning May it go right, said to someone who sneezes or swallows something awry.


my bad

Pick-up basketball slang popularized (but not first coined) by Manute Bol, a basketball player of Sudanese origin playing with the Golden State Warriors, and subsequently adopted by teammates.

Yes, I realise the car isn't supposed to be parked in the heirloom flowerbed. My bad.

DMV Tester: Watch out for the bike rid…!
Cher: [swerving car to avoid cyclist] Oops! My bad!

(colloquial, idiomatic) My fault; mea culpa.


DV

Initialism of Deo volente (God willing).


whisht

From Middle English qwyst, whisht, whist, imitative, though perhaps influenced by other verbs in wh- used in the imperative or by hust (adjective).

“You must have loved him very much,” she said.
“Whisht,” said the old woman, “there’s a word that you must never use until there's marrying between you […]”

1952, Neville Shute, chapter 9, in The Far Country, London: Heinemann:

(Ireland; British, especially Scotland, Northumbria) Shush, silence, be quiet!

A sound often used to calm livestock, cattle, sheep etc.


good-by

“Good-by, then,” said Phœbe, frankly. “I do not mean to be angry a great while, and should be sorry to have you think so. There has Cousin Hepzibah been standing in the shadow of the door-way, this quarter of an hour past! She thinks I stay too long in the damp garden. So, good-night, and good-by!”

1851 April 9, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Phœbe’s Good-by”, in The House of the Seven Gables, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, page 235:


Lord

See lord.
In reference to the God of the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Bible, originally a translation (attested from the late Old English form hlāford) of the Vulgate Latin Dominus (“master of a house; lord”), translating the New Testament and the Septuagint's Ancient Greek ὁ κύριος or Κύριος (ó kýrios, "the supreme one; Lord, Kyrios"), both in reference to Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ʾdny, "my lord; my Lord, Adonai") from אדון (ʾdwn, "lord, patron; Lord") + י- (-y, "my"), cognate with Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤍 (ʾdn, "lord; Lord, Adon"). Adonai appears in the Tanakh both directly and as a euphemism read aloud during occurrences of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH, "I am what I am; Jehovah"). See the usage notes below. Displaced the earlier term Drighten.

der

O Lord I must laugh.

c. 1595, William Shakespeare, The Comedie of Errors, published 1623, iii. i. 50:

(originally an invocation) An interjection variously expressing astonishment, surprise, resignation.


here goes nothing

Well, I checked everything and I think it's wired up correctly, so I guess all that's left is to turn it on. Here goes nothing!

(idiomatic) Indicates a lack of confidence or certainty about the activity about to be tried.

管不了那麽多了

indicates a lack of confidence or certainty


come again

"Who says he did?" / "Aubry." / "Yeah? A guy in for murder? Come again." / "Glad to. Beebe says so too."

1955, Rex Stout, "When a Man Murders...", in Three Witnesses, October 1994 Bantam edition, page 120

Vincent: A "please" would be nice. / The Wolf: Come again? / Vincent: I said a "please" would be nice. / The Wolf: Get it straight, Buster. I'm not here to say "please". I'm here to tell you what to do.

(idiomatic, informal, by ellipsis) A polite formula used when one has not heard or understood what has been said, or to indicate surprise.

(idiomatic) Used as a polite farewell to a visitor, inviting a return visit.


K

K, dad, I'll go to my room.

2019, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 23:

(colloquial, text messaging, Internet slang) OK


arrah

"Whisht! whisht! Of what are ye thinking, ye silly gossoons? Will ye bring down the peace officers upon ye, and take out the bit o' the night in the prison, instead o' drinking me health, as ye may, and me helping to do that same? Arrah! Why should ye glower and snarl at each other, like a kennel o' mad puppies, when it's the brave frolic ye may have together?

1913, anonymous author, chapter VI, in Live to be Useful or, The Story of Annie Lee and Her Irish Nurse:

"Such a nice clean corpse, did you ever see?
"Arrah, Tim, mavourneen, why did you die?"

c. 1850s, Anonymous, Finnegan's Wake (folk song)

(archaic, slang, chiefly in Ireland) An expletive.


drop dead

Compare Dutch doodvallen and the expletive "val dood!".

“Whatta ya say, goils? I'll take the botha ya, only later, like, well, you know, like later onea ya can split and go home.”[…]“Drop dead,” Rachel said with a smile.

1967, Trudy Baker, Rachel Jones, Donald Bain (uncredited), Coffee, Tea, or Me?: The Uninhibited Memoirs of Two Airline Stewardesses, New York: Bantam Books, pages 7–8:

[to Kramer] Are you dense? I said I wanted you to drop dead. Now... drop dead! [slams the door in Kramer's face]

1997, Peter Mehlman, David Mandel, “The Betrayal”, in Seinfeld, season 9, episode 8, spoken by Franklin Delano Romanowski (Michael McShane):

Used angrily to express disgust, contempt, derision, etc., toward another person.


fuck me

Fuck me! That movie was good!

Fuck me! He didn't have to pay that parking ticket because he had a great excuse!

Oh, fuck me, that paper was due today!

[…]Who the hell'd go around trying to shoot strangers in their own neighborhood, anyway? No. No one shits in his own backyard. No one … no one, except stark raving lunatics. Fuck me!

1976, Emmett Grogan, Final Score, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, →ISBN, page 15:

Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos!

1998, Joel and Ethan Coen, The Big Lebowski (motion picture), spoken by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman):

(vulgar, slang) An interjection expressing that someone is surprised, impressed, annoyed, or dismayed.

да се еба

vulgar expression of surprise at impressive and usually positive events

She straddled this guy, yelling, “Fuck me, you big stud, fuck me!” Then she stopped, concerned.

2019, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Sex and the City and Us, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 96:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fuck, me.


long time no see

desc

→⇒ Cebuano: long time no see but now, sinaw

Unknown. Possibly a calque of Cantonese 好耐冇見／好耐冇见 (hou² noi⁶ mou⁵ gin³), comparable to no can do or chop-chop – if so, most likely US Chinatown origin, alternatively British Far East such as Hong Kong. Alternatively, native American origin, or native coinage as pidgin, particularly in cinematic portrayals of native Americans; compare language used by Tonto (1930s).

calque

Dave! Long time no see! How’s Boston been treating you?

This lady had only assumed the reins of government a short time, when one morning Appoo made his appearance.—"Ma-am—long time no see wife—want go to Colombo see wife.[...]"

1843, James Campbell, Excursions, Adventures, and Field-sports in Ceylon: Its Commercial and Military Importance, and Numerous Advantages to the British Emigrant, volume 1, London: T. and W. Boone, page 256:

"Maybe. I think I go see my mamma today. Long time no see," answered Mamie, who from constant association had, like the other girls of the neighborhood, fallen into the habit of talking pigeon English to the Chinamen.

1892, William Norr, Stories of Chinatown: Sketches from Life in the Chinese Colony of Mott, Pell and Doyers Streets, New York: William Norr, page 16:

When we were close enough, I could see that he had a smile on his face, and I knew that he had recognized me. When we rode up to him he said: "Good morning. Long time no see you," and at the same time presented the gun with the breech foremost.

1899, William F. Drannan, Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains or, the Last Voice from the Plains, Chicago: Rhodes & McClure, page 515:

(idiomatic) I (or we) have not seen you for a long time.

A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English

لَم أَرَكَ مُنْذُ وَقْت طَوِيل

idiomatic: I (or we) have not seen you for a long time

ça fait longtemps qu’on ne s’est pas vu !

مشتاق دیدار

مدت زیادی بود ندیده بودمت


ready about

(nautical) Used by the helm announcing to the crew that (s)he is ready to change tack.


man overboard

(nautical) A cry used to announce that one of the crew or passengers has fallen over the side of the vessel.

شخصٌ سقط في الماء

cry indicating someone has fallen over the side

有人落落来水

ū-lâng lak-lo̍h--lâi chúi / ǔ-lâng lak-lo̍h--lâi chúi


land ahoy

(nautical) Shouted by the ship's watch to inform the crew that land has been spotted.

земя!

interjection shouted by the ship's watch


heyday

Late 16th century, from earlier heyda (1520s), as exclamation – compare hey, hei. Sense “period of success, vigor” is a respelling as heyday based on unrelated day (as “period of time”) – compare day in the sun.

"Heyday, Miss Morland!" said he. "What is the meaning of this? I thought you and I were to dance together."

"Come follow me, my wags, and say, as I say. There's no riches but in rags; hey day, hey day, &c."

Bass. Heydey! good words, good words, I must beleeue'em And be a Coxcombe for my labor.

1633, John Ford, The Broken Heart, act IV, scene i, page 252:

Here Jones, having ordered a servant to show a room above stairs, was ascending, when the dishevelled fair, hastily following, was laid hold on by the master of the house, who cried, “Heyday, where is that beggar wench going? Stay below stairs, I desire you.”

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

(obsolete) An expression of frolic and exultation, and sometimes of wonder.