aah

Aah! That's amazing!

'Aaah!' they sigh, as the silvery Space Shuttle races heavenwards on top of a towering pillar of flame.

1985, Joan Morrison, chapter 5, in Share House Blues, Boolarong Publications, page 62:

Indication of amazement or surprise or enthusiasm.

Yet I remember—aah! how should I forget?

Aah, I feel so bad for you...

Dentists would always instruct, say aah!

Aah. Now I understand.

AAAHHH! A bug! A bug! Get it off me! Get it off me!

Aah! A rat!

The sound of one screaming (with as many a's or h's as needed for emphasis).


exactly

So you're saying that we have only three days left? — Yes, exactly!


dude

American Speech
James Caldwall
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Wellcome Library
dude

Uncertain, though likely a clipping of doodle (“fool, simpleton, mindless person”), perhaps with reference to the fashionable “Yankee Doodle dandy” in the 18th-century lyrics of the song “Yankee Doodle”; the word is first attested in 1883 as a New York City slang term of contempt for a “fastidious man, fop”. If so, then related to German Low German Dudeldop, Dudendop (“fool, dunce”), Saterland Frisian Duddigegen (“idiot”).
It has also been suggested that the word is derived from dudes (“old rags”; compare duds) and dudesman (“scarecrow”), or possibly related to dawdle; It has also been suggested the word derives from the Irish dúid.
The common claim that the term derives from (or is) a word for a camel's foreskin (or some other vulgar thing, like a hair on a cow, horse, donkey, or elephant's bottom) is false.

clipping

Dude! You finally called!

And, feckin' A, you ain't never gonna guess this one—dude! […] Thinking this is a little worse than me watching porn. Dude.

2011, Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever: A Novel (The Fever Series; 5), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press, →ISBN:

(slang) A term of address, usually for a man, conveying awe, excitement, surprise, annoyance, etc.


wait

From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch.
In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”).
Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan.

der

Wait. Stop talking for a moment while I get my head straight.

(informal) Tells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment.


whoopee

Whoopee! I won!

A spontaneous expression of delight or joy.


bravo

Borrowed from Italian bravo. Doublet of brave.

Bravo, you have done a brilliant job!

Used to express acclaim, especially to a performer.


shut up

Shut up! We're sick of your whining!

(highly impolite, dismissal) Stop talking, crying, etc.

highly impolite; dismissal; highly impolite; dismissal

šuti!

(more polite than "začepi", but still impolite: )

I got accepted to Yale! —Shut up, really? That's awesome!

No, I know what home-school is, I'm not retarded! So you've actually never been to a real school before? Shut up! Shut up!

2004, Tina Fey, Mean Girls (motion picture), spoken by Regina George (Rachel McAdams):

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. What does that actually involve?

2007 September 28, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 2, Episode 6

(colloquial) I don't believe it!, no way!


quotha

From quoth + a (“he”) (dialectal, obsolete).

Here[ticus]. Then I praie you tell me, when we shall mete agayne:
Cath[olicus]. Mete againe? why art thou not well yet?
Here[ticus]. Well yet quotha? Mary sir all this is nothynge to that I looke for.

1554, John Gwynneth, chapter 30, in A Manifeste Detection of the Notable Falshed of That Part of John Frithes Boke Whiche He Calleth His Foundacion, London:

1678, Thomas d’Urfey, The Fool Turn’d Critick, London: James Magnes and Richard Bentley, Act II, Scene 2, p. 15,
1st. Fid[dler]. Will it please you Gentlemen to hear a new Lesson, or a Song A-la-mode.
Sir For[mal]. S’bud you impertinent Raskal get you gone, / Or I’le so batter that Musical sconce of yours. / Song A-la-mode Quotha, I had as lieve hear a / Gibb Catt howl, and as much pleasure I take in’t.

Mrs. Hardcastle. […] My son is not to live by his learning. I don’t think a boy wants much learning to spend fifteen hundred a year.
Hardcastle. Learning, quotha! A mere composition of tricks and mischief.

1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, London: F. Newbery, act I, pages 2–3:

A pretty way to conciliate 'little tempers' indeed, to add to the offence of spoiling the fish the crime of bringing an unexpected friend to eat it. Pot luck, quotha, when the pot's boiled over this half hour!

1853, Pisistratus Caxton [pseudonym; Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VII, in “My Novel”; Or Varieties in English Life […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 30:

The four boys pumped up their hate to hissing steam. Harmless, quotha. Innocent, forsooth.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 596:


piss off

Piss off, pal! This is my work table and yours is in the corner.

(Commonwealth, idiomatic, vulgar, dismissal) Go away!

painu vittuun

interjection of telling someone: go away!


of course

Will you come with me? — Of course!

Thank you! — Of course!

Used to acknowledge thanks; ritual reply to “thank you”.


fax

Formed with -x from facts; the pronunciation of facts and fax is identical in certain varieties of English.

(informal) Alternative form of facts (“used to express agreement”).


pow

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

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

The sound of a violent impact, such as a punch.

Pow, they took off.

1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 71:


avast

Probably borrowed from Dutch hou vast, houd vast (“hold tight”), from houd (imperative of houden (“to hold”)) + vast (“fast, firm”).

Then pull avvay, hoa up, hoa up, hoa up, ſo avaſt there, Sir.

1681, Thomas Otway, The Souldiers Fortune: A Comedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 51:

Avaſt, brother, avaſt! ſheer off—Yo ho! you turnkey, vvhy don't you keep a better look out? here's one of your crazy priſoners broke from his laſhings, I do ſuppoſe.

1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I am Seized with a Deep Melancholy, and Become a Sloven […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 305:

[T]he sail went into the water, and he could not drag it in. "Avast heaving," said Gascoigne, "till I throw her up and take the wind out of it."

1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which our hero sets off on another cruise, in which he is not blown off shore”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, page 87:

[S]he caught me as I was again trying to force the open the door. "I won't allow it; I won't have my premises spoiled. Go for the locksmith, there's one about a mile from here. But avast!" putting her hand in her side-pocket, "here's a key that'll fit, I guess; let's see." And with that, she turned it in the lock; but, alas! Queequeg's supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 93:

"Avast, there!" cried Silver. "Who are you, Tom Morgan? Maybe you thought you was cap'n here, perhaps. By the powers, but I'll teach you better![…]"

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 233:

"Avast there!" cried the captain, and as though to punctuate his remark he swung the heavy stick he usually carried full upon the back of Billy's head.

1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Shanghaied”, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC, part I, page 15:

"That landlubber's stole me dog!" Armpit cried. "Avast, ye dog thief!" he roared to the man.

2008, Nadia Higgins, Avast, Ye Dog Thief! (Barnacle Barb & Her Pirate Crew), Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, ABDO Publishing Group, →ISBN:

Avast, ye landlubbers!

[“Pirate Talk: How to Make It Work for You”, page 35] Avast—"Stop and give attention." It can be used in a sense of surprise: "Whoa! Get a load of that!" when a beautiful woman walks into the room. "Avast! Check out the bowsprit on that fine beauty!" you might say. […] [“Cap’n Slappy’s Practical Parrot Pointers”, page 166] Arrrr! Avast, Cap'n Slappy. Does ye know where the treasure of the Sierra Madre be buried? If ye don't tell me its whereabouts, I'll have to swing ye from the yardarm, matey.

2005 September, John Baur, Mark Summers, Piratitude! So You Wanna be a Pirate? Here’s How!, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, pages 35 and 166:

(slang) In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!


damn

From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”).

(sometimes vulgar) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt or surprise, etc. See also dammit.


avaunt

First used 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old French avant (“to the front”).

Zuc. Hence auant I will marie a woman with no wombe, a creature with two noſes, a wench with no haire rather then remarie thee, […]

1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for W[illiam] C[otton], published 1606, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i:

In order to exorcise this she-devil, the attendants made circles on the walls with charcoal, within each was written: "Adam, Eve, Lilas, avaunt!"

1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 114:

(archaic) Begone; depart; used in contempt or abhorrence.


pardon

From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdonare, from per- + donare, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.

cog

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.


quite

A development of quit, influence by Anglo-Norman quite. For an analogous semantic development from the same root, compare Armenian շատ (šat).

“That's a rather ugly colour for a house, don't you think?” — “Quite.”

(chiefly UK) Indicates agreement; exactly so.


aye

"Appears suddenly about 1575, and is exceedingly common about 1600." Probably from use of aye (“ever, always”) as expression of agreement or affirmation, or from Middle English a ye (“oh yes”), or synthesis of both. Compare Faroese ája (“certainly, ah yes”). More at oh, yea.

yes; yea; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question.

(nautical) a word used to acknowledge a command from a superior, usually preceded by a verbatim repeat-back.


aye

(MLE, MTE, regional African-American Vernacular, Chicano) Misspelling of eh.

(New Zealand) Alternative spelling of ay (question tag)


tio

(Singlish, uncommon) Correct; that's right.


nome

Mother said, “Is he cold, Versh.”
“Nome.” Versh said.

1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury, Folio Society, published 2016, page 7:

(US, regional) Alternative form of no'm (“no ma'am”)


heavens

“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.[…]”

1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Chapter IX: A Novice”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 359:

An expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.


lo

From Middle English lo, loo, from Old English lā (“exclamation of surprise, grief, or joy”). Conflated in Middle English with lo! (interjection), a corruption of lok!, loke! (“look!”) (as in lo we! (look we!)). Cognate with Scots lo, lu (“lo”). See also look.

inh

Caliban: Lo, lo again! Bite him to death, I prithee.

c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, act III, scene ii:

Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night,
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultán's Turret in a Noose of light.

1859, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: The Astronomer-Poet of Persia, page 1:

[...], Lo, these many years do I serve thee, [...].

first published 1611, reprinted c. 1900, The Bible, King James version, Luke 15:29:

Emperor Ling went in state to the Hall of Virtue. As he drew near the throne, a rushing whirlwind arose in the corner of the hall and, lo! from the roof beams floated down a monstrous black serpent that coiled itself up on the very seat of majesty. The Emperor fell in a swoon.

1925, Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, translation of original by Luo Guanzhong:

"Tambi will be here in..." He computed carefully. "... in exactly twenty seconds." And, lo, Tambi appeared at that very moment.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 588:

(archaic) look, see, behold (in an imperative sense).


lo

When Spade entered, Wise was buting a fingernail and staring at the window. He took his hand from his mouth, screwed his chair around to face Spade, and said: " 'Lo. Push a chair up."

1929, Dashiel Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, New Yock: Vintage Books (Random House, published 1992, →ISBN, page 112:


pad

Probably imitative, perhaps related to or influenced by Etymology 5, above.

unk

I heard her soft footsteps, pad, pad along the corridor.

Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.


story

Alternative form of what's the story (“how are you?”)

*Any non-Irish person should be aware that it is not necessary to take the question literally i.e. one shouldn't start to explain your life story when greeted with 'What's the story?' rather they should respond in kind e.g. Greeting: 'What's the story?' Response: 'What's the story?' There are several variations on the theme, the most popular being 'What's the story, bud?' or the pithy : 'Story, bud?' or the pithier still 'Story?'

2012, Colin Murphy, Donal O'Dea, “18 - Saying 'What's the story?'”, in More Stuff Irish People Love, 2017 edition, The O'Brien Press Ltd, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, Ireland, Dublin) Used as a greeting, short for what's the story?


poof

pouffe (with certain dialects and/or accents)

Poof, he was gone.

Even now, in the spring, the river softly cries, 'Menthol, Menthol, you are one wazoo. One day I'm the elf next door and the poof I'm a river.'

1969, Beard & Kennedy, Bored of the Rings, page 87:

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.

1995, Christopher McQuarrie, The Usual Suspects (motion picture), spoken by Verbal (Kevin Spacey):

Onomatopoeia indicating a small explosion with a cloud of smoke; as caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.

puff

deflating object or a magical disappearance


sup

Procopic form of what's up (“how are you doing?”)

of supremum and of words beginning with super-

— Sup?
— Not much.

(slang) what's up (either as a greeting or actual question)


tra

A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune.


ay

Tro. Have I not tarried?
Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting.
Tro. Have I not tarried?
Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leavening.
Tro. Still have I tarried.
Pan. Ay, to the leavening; but […]

c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

"Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn."
Ay, that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? […]"

1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:

"I swear also that I will honour and will cherish thee, Kallikrates, who hast been swept by the wave of time back into my arms, ay, till the very end, come it soon or late."

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

(Mid-Ulster, others) Alternative spelling of aye ("yes")


ay

For example, New Zealanders tended to say "ay" at the end of sentences, but in the Asian community people used different tags to check whether people were still listening.

2013 November 13, “Surprising changes in the way Aucklanders speak”, in Stuff:

New Zealand spelling of eh (question tag)


ay

Origin uncertain; possibly related to eh and hey; popularized by a catch phrase in a 1970s sitcom.

All right (inter); hooray (inter); cool (inter).


smeg

A clipping of smegma, popularised by the British sitcom Red Dwarf.


eaw

From the sound. An early print use was in a 1988 instruction booklet for the video game Zelda II; probably used earlier.


yoink

Back in a pool game, Lindsey comes by between shots and leans over my shoulder and whispers, "Don't look now, but that blonde girl is checking you out." YOINK!

2005, Adam Harris, A Single Southerner Across America, →ISBN, pages 16–17:

yoink! The US will never close the border to Mexico. Politicians here don't have the political will to do such thing.

2009 May 5, Dias Leonardo, “yoink!”, in politics.r.us (Usenet):

“What do you mean, don't kill me?” Major Healy said, sneering. “In case you didn't notice, I'm the one with the weapon.” “Oh, yeah,” Remo said. “Yoink.”

2016, Richard Sapir, Warren Murphy, The Wrong Stuff, →ISBN:

(colloquial) Used for emphasis or to express that one is impressed.


yoink

Coined by writer George Meyer for the TV show The Simpsons; perhaps from yank, or imitative of the sound effect (a quick upward slide on a violin) that accompanies something being snatched in classic comedies.

Marge: But you look better, you don't sweat when you eat any more, and look – [holds up a wad of cash] You've saved more than a hundred dollars. I found it in your pants.
Homer: [snatches money] Yoink!

1993, “Duffless”, episode of the Simpsons [television]

Yoink! He snatched Granny Glee's frilly pink hat with his little feet.

2012, John Sazaklis, Candy Store Caper, →ISBN, page 24:

The way I've always done this stunt is to grab my partner and jump us over together. It's absolute hell on my knees. I lean toward Brando and raise my eyebrows. “Yoink.” “Definite yoink,” he replies, equally inspired.

2014, G. T. Almasi, Hammer of Angels: A Novel of Shadowstorm, →ISBN:

YOINK! Coach Pittman snatched the puck out of midair.

2015, Marty McKnight, Jim Nasium Is a Hockey Hazard, →ISBN, page 42:

2021 (November 13) "Olivia & Yunan" (Amphibia s3e7b) Yunan grabbing a crossbow
Ooh, ominous. After you, milady. Yoink!

(colloquial) Onomatopoeic, accompanying or describing a yank, swipe, or snatch.


rat-tat-tat

The sound made by knocking on a door with a hard object (such as a door knocker).

The sound made by firing an automatic machine gun.


prosit

Toast to indicate one is drinking to someone's, or to each other's, health.


swish

"Just like parade it had been a minute before then stumble, bang, swish! Wiped out!" he said.

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 84:

A hissing or whistling sound of something travelling quickly through the air.


fudge

Probably a variant of fadge (“to fit”), the confectionery sense having evolved from the meaning of “merging together” or “turning out as expected”.

Fudge! if you had such a fine instinct, why did you let us go to Transome Court and make fools of ourselves?

(colloquial, minced oath) Used in place of fuck.

Oh, fudge! Don't lecture me.

(colloquial, archaic) Nonsense; tommyrot.


za

From an apheretic pronunciation of wossat or (directly) of what's that.

"Really, the best evidence that Liam was under mind control is that everyone here is still alive." "Za?"

2022 May 11, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, May 11, 2022:

An expression of surprise or confusion; compare wha, huh, eh.


fen

(obsolete) Used in children's games to prevent or forestall another player's action; a check or bar.


youch

Youch! I stubbed my toe!


ow

Now don't you wait or hesitate / Let's move before they raise the parking rate, ow!

1970, Free (lyrics and music), “All Right Now”:

Then you ran into the bedroom / You were struck down / It was your doom, Annie / Ow!

1987, Michael Jackson (lyrics and music), “Smooth Criminal”:


yo

As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġēa (“yes, yea”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes, thus, so”); or perhaps from Old English ēow (“Wo!, Alas!”, interjection). Compare Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian jo (“yes (flexible meaning)”), Dutch jow (“hi, hey”) and Dutch jo (“hi, hey”). More at yea, ow, ew.
Modern popularity apparently dates from World War II (claimed to be a common response at roll calls; see definition 4), and then most intensely attested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; it thence spread globally from American dominance of pop culture post-WWII.

inh

Yo Paulie! How's it going?

Yo, check this out!

Check this out, yo!

Yo, that's crazy, but I don't remember asking.

I have quickly acclimated myself to the standard form of greeting on campus: "Oh hey what’s your name? … Yeah, nice to meet you, what're you studying? … Yo that’s sick!" A script to recite, nearly verbatim, 10 times a day or more.

2021 October 2, Mason Cannon, “Don't Feel Pressured To Declare Your Major Right Away”, in Study Breaks:

(slang) An expression of surprise or excitement.

Sergeant: Smith?
Private Smith: Yo!

JESSE: That is messed up, yo.

2010, "Kafkaesque" (Breaking Bad TV series, season 3, episode 9)

(chiefly African-American Vernacular) Emphatic conclusion to a statement.


rubbish

Inherited from Middle English robous (“rubbish, building rubble”), further origin uncertain; possibly from Anglo-Norman rubous, rubouse, rubbouse (“refuse, waste material; building rubble”), and compare Anglo-Latin rebbussa, robousa, robusium, robusum, rubisum, rubusa, rubusium (although the Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Latin words may be derived from the English word instead of the other way around, as there are no known Old French cognates of the word). The English word may be related to rubble, though the connection is unclear. Possibly derived ultimately from Old Norse rubba (“to huddle, crowd together, heap up", also possibly "to rub, scrape”), from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną (“to rub, scrape”). Compare Swedish rubba (“to move, displace, dislodge, upset”).
The verb is derived from the noun.

pahus

used to express that something is exceedingly bad

The one day I actually practice my violin, the teacher cancels the lesson.
Aw, rubbish! Though at least this means you have time to play football.

Used to express that something is exceedingly bad, awful, or terrible.

Rubbish! I did nothing of the sort!

Rubbish, sir, rubbish! Pestilent and pernicious rubbish! An honest man must consider what he owes to his name and his rank. That is the first consideration.

1906, Alfred Sutro, The Walls of Jericho: A Play in Four Acts, French’s Standard Library edition, New York, N.Y., London: Samuel French, →OCLC, act II, page 44:

Used to express that what was recently said is nonsense or untrue; balderdash!, nonsense!

глупости

used to express that what was recently said is nonsense or untrue


tush

He glanced through the letter and shook his head. "Tush! tush! And the wife of the bank manager too—the bank manager of Pudlington, James! Can you conceive of anything so dreadful? But I'm afraid Mrs. Bank Manager is a puss—a distinct puss. It's when they get on the soul-mate stunt that the furniture begins to fly."

1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, chapter 1, in Bulldog Drummond:


flop

Recorded since 1602, probably a variant of flap with a duller, heavier sound

"One step. Steady. Another step. Flop! I got him!"

1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page xx. 154:

Indicating the sound of something flopping.


cave

Borrowed from Latin cavē, second-person singular present active imperative of caveō (“to beware”). Used at Eton College, Berkshire.

Ssh! Cave! Mum's the word! Not 'arf, or what?

1989, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Private Plane (Blackadder Goes Forth), season 4, episode 4, spoken by Lt. George (Hugh Laurie):

(British, school slang) look out!; beware!


blast

From Middle English blasten, blesten, from Old English blǣstan (“to blow, blast”), from Proto-West Germanic *blēstijan, from Proto-Germanic *blēstijaną. Possibly related to Middle High German blesten (“to stand out, plop, splash”).

noncog

(chiefly British, informal, mildly blasphemous) Used to show anger or disappointment: damn


wakey wakey

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


shite

From the Middle English shite, schite, scīte (“excrement”), cognate with Middle Low German schīte, Middle High German schīze, Dutch schijt. Compare Middle English shitel, scitel, scytel (“dung, excrement”), from Old English sċitel. More at shit. Doublet of scheisse.

Shite! I left my wallet at home.

(UK, Ireland, very uncommon, vulgar) An expression of annoyance or dismay.


thack

From Middle English thacce, from thakken (“to stroke”): see etymology 1.

1860, Albany Fonblanque, Jun., Hector Mainwaring; or, A lease for lives, Ward and Lock, page 205,
Thack ! thack ! thack ! the heavy hunting whip came down upon the head and shoulders of Charles Dudley.

Whishhh—THACK! The strap is a blur as it comes to meet my outstretched hand.

2012, Campbell Bolwell, From the Mountaintop, Xlibris, page 33:


hip

An exclamation to invoke a united cheer: hip hip hooray.


d'oh

Audio (US)

Imitative. Popularised by the cartoon character Homer Simpson in the TV show The Simpsons. Voice actor Dan Castellaneta has said that he modelled his version on the drawn-out "do-o-o-o" sound made by Jimmy Finlayson in the films of Laurel and Hardy.
The OED has references from the BBC as far back as 1945.

—I just paid for our food. —You didn't have to. It's free. —D'oh!

Expresses frustration or anger, especially at one’s own stupidity.

British Broadcasting Corporation
Homer Simpson
Jimmy Finlayson
Laurel and Hardy
Oxford English Dictionary
The Simpsons


surprise

From Middle English surprise, borrowed from Middle French surprise (“an overtake”), nominal use of the past participle of Old French sorprendre (“to overtake”), from sor- (“over”) + prendre (“to take”), from Latin super- + Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere (“to grasp, seize”). Doublet of suppli.

"Surprise!" we shouted as we jumped out from the cupboard. "Happy birthday!"

Drawing attention to a surprising action by oneself.

When we add code modules, we will have an additional folder called (surprise!) Modules.

2013, John Connell, Beginning Visual Basic 6 Database Programming, page 129:

Sarcastically drawing attention to something that should have been obvious.


heck

Late 19th century, originally dialectal northern English, from a euphemistic alteration of hell.

Heck, what did I expect? It's too muddy out to go biking today.


eek

onomatopoeic

Imitative

Eek! There's a mouse in the bathtub!

Representing a scream or shriek (especially in comic strips and books).

I almost got fired from my job yesterday. Eek!

Expressing (sometimes mock) fear or surprise.

Representing the shrill vocal sound of a mouse, rat, or monkey.


indeed

From Middle English indede, contraction of the phrase in dede (“in sooth, in fact”); equivalent to in + deed (similar in formation to in fact, in truth, etc.). Cognate with Saterland Frisian innerdoat, innedoat (“indeed”), West Frisian yndied (“indeed”), Dutch inderdaad (“indeed”), German in der Tat (“indeed”). First attested in the early 14ᵗʰ century.

etydate

"I am a great runner." "Indeed!"

"I am a great runner." "Indeed?"

With interrogative intonation (low-high) indicates serious doubt.


yea

From Middle English ye, ȝea, ya, ȝa, from Old English ġēa, iā (“yea, yes”), from Proto-West Germanic *jā.

(in some dialects of American English, including Southern, Western, and African American Vernacular) Yeah, right, yes.


yea

(nonstandard, proscribed) Alternative spelling of yeah


ribbit

Widow Toad: Looks kinds puny to me. Looks like a breeze could carry her off. Ribbit, ribbit. Maybe she could cook and clean my house.

1943, Vera Morris, transl., Thumbelina, Denver, Colorado: Pioneer Drama Service, page 9:

Frogs croaking ribbit, ribbit
Trees rustling sssshh, ssshh
Water rushing over rapids splash, clash.

1992 April 19, The Canberra Times, Australian Captial Territory, page 2, column 1:

(onomatopoeia) The vocal sound made by a frog or toad.

The students fell momentarily silent while he finished writing on the board. Then, "Ribbit!"

Used to anonymously and disrespectfully break silence, as in educational or ceremonial settings.


blag

Borrowed from Tagalog blag, ultimately onomatopoeic.

(Philippines) Used to represent the sound of a dull impact.


shame

From Middle English schame, from Old English sċamu, from Proto-Germanic *skamō.

Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees about future pension arrangements."
#*: Mr. Charles R. Morris: Shame.

1982, “Telecommunications Bill”, in Hansard:

[…] the Duke of Dorset charged in the list with "not known, but supposed forty thousand per year" (charitable supposition) had when formerly in office only about 3 or £4,000, and has not now, nor when the black list was printed, any office whatever — (Much tumult, and cries of "shame" and "doust the liars")

1831, The Bristol Job Nott; or, Labouring Man's Friend:

A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.

Shame, you poor thing, you must be cold!


gad

That's the trouble — it was too easy for you — you got reckless — thought you could turn me inside out, and chuck me in the gutter like an empty purse. But, by gad, that ain't playing fair: that's dodging the rules of the game.

1905, Edith Wharton, chapter 13, in The House of Mirth:

goodness gracious
goodness gracious#English

for goodness' sake
for goodness' sake#English

An exclamation roughly equivalent to by God, goodness gracious, for goodness' sake.


oink

Representing the grunting sound made by a pig.

Mom swallowed a spoonful of pudding and looked Daddy straight in the eye. "Oink, oink," she said, to let him know he was being a male chauvinist pig.

"The tub is too small!" "Then, I'll go first and you'll have to wait!" "Chauvinist pig!" "Oink, oink!"

2003, Robert N. Mansfield, Randy Maas, The Assassin: Attack on America:

You are such a male chauvinist oink, oink. You think that you are the only one who can drive a car or fly an airplane.

2005, Alinka Zyrmont, Forbidden Passion:

Drawing attention to male chauvinism (from the term male chauvinist pig).


phwoar

Imitative of the sound made, with the mouth initially partly closed and then opened wide.

onom

Imitative

That Susan, phwoar!

For quotations using this term, see Citations:phwoar.

(UK, slang) Expresses sexual desire on seeing a person that one is attracted to.


soft

From Middle English softe, from Old English sōfte, alteration of earlier sēfte (“soft”), from Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) (“level, even, smooth, soft, gentle”) (compare *sōmiz (“agreeable, fitting”)), from Proto-Indo-European *semptio-, *semtio-, from *sem- (“one, whole”). Cognate with West Frisian sêft (“gentle; soft”), Dutch zacht (“soft”), German Low German sacht (“soft”), German sanft (“soft, yielding”), Old Norse sœmr (“agreeable, fitting”), samr (“same”). More at seem, same.

inh

Soft, you; a word or two before you go.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

(archaic) Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.


really

From Middle English really, realy, rialliche, equivalent to real + -ly.

وَٱللّٰه؟

indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information

gosh

incredulity, phatically contrived incredulity, or in ironic/sarcastic sense

A: He won the Nobel Prize yesterday.

B: Really?

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

A: You know, I saw Oliver the other day.

B: Really? What's he been up to?

"Literally" is not the only word that has lost touch with reality: look at "really." That word also was meant to describe a state of reality, or literalness. Even as a substitute for "Is that so?," the word asked, "Is that true, or real?" Nowadays, one guy goes, "I literally flew off the handle," and the other guy goes "Really." It's a grunt, meaning, "I'm still here."

1979 November 4, William Safire, “On Language [column]”, in New York Times:

(informal, by extension) A phatic confirmation by a listener, to signal active listening; mostly devoid of literal meaning, with the phatically contrived incredulity being merely formulaic.

така ли

A: I've just been reading Shakespeare - he's one of the best authors like, ever!

B: Really.

(informal, sarcastic, typically exaggerated question.) Indicating that what was just said was obvious and unnecessary; contrived incredulity

A: That girl talks about herself way too much.

B: Really. She's a nightmare.

(informal, chiefly US) Indicating affirmation, agreement.

Well, really! How rude.

(informal) Indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour or statement.

oikeasti

indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour


oh my God

ja-r

オーマイガー (ōmaigā)

→ Japanese: オーマイガー (ōmaigā), オマイガッ (omaiga') (slang)

→ Korean: 오마이갓 (omaigat)

desc

→ Mandarin: 喔麥尬／喔麦尬 (ōmàigà), 歐買尬／欧买尬

→ Mandarin: 喔麥尬／喔麦尬 (ōmàigà), 歐買尬／欧买尬

Creep niggas like a seal
Tote the steel
Stick a nigga, make him squeal
"Oh, my God!"
Those can't be the last words of ya man
Damn, ya man was so hard

2001, “We Right Here”, in Earl Simmons (lyrics), The Great Depression, Ruff Ryders Entertainment:

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

(potentially offensive) An expression of anger, frustration, excitement, shock, awe, dismay, etc.


faith

From Middle English faith (also fay), borrowed from Old French fei, feid, from Latin fidem. Displaced native Old English ġelēafa, which was also the word for "belief."
Old French had [θ] as a final devoiced allophone of /ð/ from lenited Latin /d/; this eventually fell silent in the 12th century. The -th of the Middle English forms is most straightforwardly accounted for as a direct borrowing of a French [θ]. However, it has also been seen as arising from alteration of a French form with -d under influence of English abstract nouns in the suffix -th (e.g. truth, ruth, health, etc.), or as a recharacterisation of a French form like fay, fey, fei with the same suffix, thus making the word equivalent to fay + -th.


strewth

Minced form of God's truth. Compare zounds, blimey.

“Strewth! Here she is,” said the salesman.

1957, Greta X (Angela Pearson), The Whipping-Post, page 109:

“Strewth,” he whistled. “I reckon that’s a complicated fracture of the right tibia.”

1971 July 1, Michael O’Donnell, “Take to the hills”, in New Scientist, page 41:

He smiles and is going to say something encouraging. Strewth! Why doesn’t he duck? His head’s above the parapet. He’s in the line of fire. Silly BUGGER! “CRACK!”

2007, Marilys Edwards, Keep The Home Fires Burning, AuthorHouse, page 187:

Nicky: 'Helloooooo?' / Sam: 'Strewth. You gotta be kidding me.'

2020, "Moments of Silence", in Taskmaster, series 10, episode 8, Channel 4, character scripts in The Smart Steak

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, originally a minced oath) A mild oath expressing surprise or generally adding emphasis.


later

* Adverb: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lator, equivalent to late + -er.
* Adjective: From Middle English later, latere, from Old English lætra, equivalent to late + -er.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian leeter (“later”), West Frisian letter (“later”), Dutch later (“later”), German Low German later (“later”).

Later, dude.


wig

Clipping of periwig, itself an alteration of French perruque. The meaning of "to reprimand" perhaps came from this being something a bigwig would do or perhaps from the expressions to flip one's wig, wigs on the green, or dash my wig!

(LGBT, Internet slang) An expression of shock.


zounds

Minced form of God's wounds, with reference to the wounds from Christ's crucifixion. Compare strewth, blimey, gadzooks, 'sblood, crikey.

'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death!

c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, 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):

Bounds, mounds, lounds, founds, kounds, downds, rounds, pounds, zounds! — hounds — ha! hounds — I have it.

1870, R.M. Ballantyne, The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands:

"Zounds!" he exclaimed. "What the dickens is that?"

1900, J.C. Hutcheson, Bob Strong's Holidays:

(chiefly dated, minced oath) Expressing anger, surprise, assertion etc.


fiddle

From Middle English fithele, from Old English *fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic *fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela). The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).

Oh, fiddle. I left my whip in the stable.


click

Imitative of the "click" sound; first recorded in the 1500s. Compare Saterland Frisian klikke (“to click”), Middle Dutch clicken (Modern Dutch: klikken (“to click”)), Old High German klecchen (Modern German: klecken, klicken (“to click”)), Danish klikke (“to click”), Swedish klicka (“to click”), Norwegian klikke (“to click”), Norwegian klekke (“to hatch”).

onomatopoeic

Imitative

Click! The door opened.


havoc

From Middle English havok, havyk, from Old French havok in the phrase crier havok (“cry havoc”) a signal to soldiers to seize plunder, from Old French crier (“cry out, shout”) + havot (“pillaging, looting”), of obscure origin. Probably from a derivative of Old French *haf, hef (“hook”), from Frankish *haf, *habbjā, *happjā (“pruning-hook, scythe”), derived from Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to take up, lift”), related to Old French havee (“handful”), Old French havet (“pruning-hook”), Old High German habba, heppa (“pruning-hook, scythe”), modern German Hippe (“billhook”). If so, then also related to English heave and doublet of hatchet.

unk

obscure

der

Do not cry havoc, where you should but hunt / With modest warrant.

c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, 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):

Cry "havoc", and let slip the dogs of war!

1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

A cry in war as the signal for indiscriminate slaughter.


eureka

From Ancient Greek εὕρηκα (heúrēka, “I have found”), perfect active indicative first singular of εὑρίσκω (heurískō, “to find”). Archimedes supposedly exclaimed this when he figured out how to determine the density of an object. First use appears c. 1603 in a text by Philemon Holland.

Eureka! I have found it! What I mean / To say is, not that love is idleness, / But that in love such idleness has been / An accessory, as I have cause to guess.

"Eureka!" he cried, his teeth shining through his beard. "Gentlemen, you may congratulate me and we may congratulate each other. The problem is solved."

1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

A page is turned - eureka, a snatch of tune / is playing itself, the piss-proud syllables / are unveiling a difficult prosody.

1970, Peter Porter, The Sanitized Sonnets, The Last of England:

An exclamation indicating a sudden discovery.


crikey

Euphemistic substitute for Christ, perhaps a corruption of Christ King. Compare criminy, cripes, crivvens. Attested from the 19th century.

Crikey, mate, that ain't a knife, this is a knife!

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) An exclamation of astonishment.


bon voyage

/ˌbɒn vwaɪˈɑːʒ/

/ˌbɒn vɔɪˈɑːʒ/

Borrowed from French bon voyage (“bon voyage, (have a) good journey”), from bon (“good”) + voyage (“journey”).

bor

Bon voyage, Charles Muntz, and good luck capturing the monster of Paradise Falls!

2009 May 13, Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Up, spoken by newsreel announcer (David Kaye), Walt Disney Pictures & Pixar Animation Studios:

Bon Voyage / Forget that olde worlde / I'm inching away from the darkest slump of my life / And I don't know if I'm coming back

2013, Crying (lyrics and music), “Vacation”, in Get Olde:


US, attested 1996, variant of earlier wh00t (1994), leetspeak form of whoot (1993), form standardized and popularized in dancehall anthem by rap song “Whoot, There It Is” (single released March 22, 1993) by group 95 South – compare often-confused “Whoomp! (There It Is)” (single released May 7, 1993) by group Tag Team – both in Miami bass genre (also less common “Whoops, there it is”), from earlier varied oral usage whoo, whoof, woo, woof (compare standard woohoo), notably by studio audience on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–94) and in movie Pretty Woman (1990). The usage of The Arsenio Hall Show, specifically by the “dogpound” section of the audience, was in turn based on a dog’s bark woof (“(sound of dog barking)”), and derived from chants used at football games by the Cleveland Browns, from Hall’s home town, team nicknamed “The Dogs”.
Many folk etymologies exist, but written record is clear: the term appears widely in popular print use only from 1993, particularly used both in dancehalls and at sporting events, and is credited to the songs. The w00t form gained popularity on the internet from 1996, especially in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

w00t I've won this special item.

I talked to some lady at Burton, and she was saying there's all kinds of neat stuff on the disk, like clicking in different places or such gets neat things not otherwise seen.....anyone find any of these?

1994, John Paul Brzustowicz, rec.skiing.snowboard, Widowmaker CD ROM very soon, 11/10/1994

This is a test

1996, Matthew Cable, news:alt.test, Yeah!, Jan 8 1996, 1:00 am

(Internet slang, leetspeak) Used to express joy, particularly that felt during success or victory.

95 South
Cleveland Browns
Grant Barrett
Miami bass
Pretty Woman
TV Acres
The Arsenio Hall Show
Whoomp! (There It Is)
Whoot, There It Is
w00t


bovver

Represents a nonstandard or dialectal (in particular Cockney) pronunciation of bother.

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling


dagnabbit

/ˌdæɡˈnæbɪt/

Dagnabbit! I lost my keys again.


roger

→ Japanese: ラジャー (rajā)

From Roger, used circa 1940 in UK and US military communication to represent "R" when spelling out a word. "R" is the first letter in received, used to acknowledge understanding a message. "Roger" for "received" was in spoken usage in air traffic radio parlance by 1950.

Pilot: CESSNA TWO THREE FOUR—ROGER—OUT.

(radio telecommunications) Received (used in radio communications to acknowledge that a message has been received and understood)


doggone

Doggone! I lost my keys again.

(US, dialectal) Euphemistic form of goddamned; an expression of anger or annoyance.


sure

non-rhotic, show–sure merger, African-American Vernacular

From Middle English sure, seur, sur, from Middle French sur or Old French seür, from Latin sēcūrus (“secure”, literally “carefree”), from sē- (“apart”) + cūra (“care”) (compare Old English orsorg (“carefree”), from or- (“without”) + sorg (“care”)). See cure. Doublet of secure and the now obsolete or dialectal sicker (“certain, safe”).
Displaced native Middle English wis, iwis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewis, ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), as well as Middle English siker (“sure, secure”) (from Old English sicor (“secure, sure”)) with which it was cognate.

noncog

"Do you want me to put this in the garage?" "Sure, go ahead."

Yes, expressing noncommittal agreement or consent.

"Could you tell me where the washrooms are?" "Sure, they're in the corner over there."

"Thanks for helping me with that electrical fault." "Sure. Any time."

You're welcome; polite response to being thanked.


oi

Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s. Compare also unrelated Portuguese oi and Japanese おい (oi).

Oi, you with the red hat – what do you think you're doing?

Oi! Stop that!

Oi! This is new!

Oi! How's it going?


oi

Borrowed from oyez, 2nd person plural imperative of verb oir meaning to listen, as used as an interjection in duplicated form "Oyez, oyez" by public speakers of medieval times to draw attention before a public address; see oi oi.


ur

Expressing hesitation or inarticulacy; er, um.


polo

From the game marco polo, from the explorer Marco Polo, from Latin Paulus.


haw

From Middle English ha (interjection). Compare Old Norse há (interjection), Middle Low German ha, hā (interjection), Old High German aha, hei (interjection).

You think that song was good? Haw!

The bitter laugh laughs at that which is not good, it is the ethical laugh. The hollow laugh laughs at that which is not true, it is the intellectual laugh. Not good! Not true! Well well. But the mirthless laugh is the dianoetic laugh, down the snout — Haw! — so.

1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1959, →OCLC:

An imitation of laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often doubled or tripled (haw haw or haw haw haw).

Hums or haws.

1720, William Congreve, An Impossible Thing:

An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like "haw"; the sound so made.


haw

Assumed to be interjectory, but compare Old English hawian (“to observe, look”)

onomatopoeic

interjectory

Coordinate term: gee

An instruction for a horse or other animal to turn towards the driver, typically left.

嗬

an instruction for a horse or other animal to turn towards the driver


doing

The sound made by an elastic object when struck by or striking a hard object.


gee

A shortening of Jesus, perhaps as in the oath by Jesus.

Gee, I didn't know that!

Gee, this is swell fun!

Stephanie (Irene Dunne): Oh, yes. I like the English. And the Americans, too! / John Kent (Randolph Scott): Gee, that's swell. I'm an American! / Stephanie: Gee, that's swe–, I mean, I thought so.

1935, Jane Murfin, Sam Mintz, Allan Scott (screenplay), Roberta (motion picture), RKO Pictures:

(somewhat dated) A general exclamation of surprise or frustration.


gee

Mush, huskies. Now, gee! Gee!

A command to a horse, pack animal, etc., which may variously mean “move forward”, “go faster”, or “turn to the right”.


team

From Middle English tem, teem, teme, from Old English tēam (“child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals”), from Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic *taugijaną, *tugōną, *teuhōną, *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”). Cognate with Scots team, teem (“a chain, harness”), Saterland Frisian Toom (“bridle; breeding”), West Frisian team (“bridle, team”), Dutch toom (“bridle, reins, flock of birds”), German Low German Toom (“bridle”), German Zaum (“bridle”), Norwegian tømme (“bridle, rein”), Swedish töm (“leash, rein”). More at teem, tie, tow.

cog

(video games, colloquial) Used to propose that another player team up with the speaker.


dey

If a player makes a silly mistake, he doesn’t wail when told to “wake up lah, dey”.

2007 September 10, Sandra Leong, w:The Straits Times, quoted in Jack Tsen-Ta Lee, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited, →OCLC, page 6:

(Singapore, Malaysia, slang, rare, between friends) A familiar term of address conveying extra emphasis at the end of sentences.


boo

From earlier (15c.) boh, coined to create a loud and startling sound. Compare Middle English bus! (“bang!”, interjection), Latin boō (“cry aloud, roar, shout”, verb), Ancient Greek βοάω (boáō, “shout”, verb).

onomatopoeic

startling

noncog

A loud exclamation intended to scare someone. Usually used when one has been hidden from the target, and then appears unexpectedly.

pöö

word used ironically in a situation where one might have scared someone, but said someone was not scared

I ask them to record their votes in my favour, and I ask, is there any man who will dare to call me a stranger (hear, hear, and booing)?

1852 July 15, “Dundalk Election”, in The Freeman's Journal, volume lxxxv, Dublin, page 3:

An exclamation used by a member of an audience, as at a stage play or sporting event, to indicate derision or disapproval.


hone

Oh, hone! oh, hone! miserable wretch that I am! Do ye mak confession for me, Sir, and I'll say 't after you, as weel as I dow. Oh, hone! oh, hone!

1836, Joanna Baillie, Witchcraft, Act 4, page 141

Synonym of alas Used to express sorrow, or grief


mew

From Middle English mewen; onomatopoeic.

(archaic) An exclamation of disapproval; boo.


pew

An expression of disgust in response to an unpleasant odor.


pew

(video games, childish) Representative of the sound made by the firing of a gun, particularly a blaster in science fiction.


rather

/ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/

/ˌɹɑːˈðɜː(ɹ)/

/ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/

From Middle English rather, from Old English hraþor, comparative of hraþe (“soon, early, fast”). More at rathe. Cognate with Dutch radder (“faster”), comparative of Dutch rad (“fast; quick”), German Low German radd, ratt (“rashly; quickly; hastily”), German gerade (“even; straight; direct”). By surface analysis, rathe + -er.

cog

Would you like some? –Rather!

"Do you mean to say, young man," she said frostily, "that you expect me to drink this stuff?" ¶ "Rather! Bucks you up, you know."

"Farewell, Daughter of Eve," said he. "Perhaps I may keep the handkerchief?"
"Rather!" said Lucy, and then ran towards the far-off patch of daylight as quickly as her legs would carry her.

1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

"Some of us stupid old die-hards believe that there is yet room for pride in one's work, Pook," Mr Pants said with dangerous emphasis. "Oh, rather, sir. I'd much sooner walk to London Town than ride in one of those motorcars we've heard tell of, sir."

1967, Peter Pook, Banker Pook Confesses:

(England, dated) An enthusiastic affirmation.


scat

From scoot, from the root of shoot. Alternatively, from the expression quicker than scat (“in a great hurry”), perhaps representing a hiss followed by the word cat. Compare Swedish schas (“shoo, begone”).

Scat! Go on! Get out of here!

Scat! Shoo! Scat! Geet up! Geet on! Nobody's sick in this house! Nobody wants you here!

1903, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Though Life Us Do Part, page 223:

“Scat! Shoo bird!” The bird merely stared, its dark eyes glinting.

2009, Coleen D'Andrea, The Harbinger, page 30:

'Scat! Go on, scat!' she called, trying to shoo it away.

2014, Marita Conlon-McKenna, The Hat Shop On The Corner, page 24:

(colloquial) An imperative demand to leave, often understood by speaker and listener as impertinent.


shalom

Borrowed from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (šālóm, “peace, well-being; Hello, good-bye”). Doublet of salaam, the same word via Arabic.

bor

(Judaism) A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell.

شَلُوم

transliteration of the Jewish greeting or farewell


all together

All together! Say it: "Long live our country!"

Calling for other people to say something together.


botheration

/ˌbɒðəˈɹeɪʃn̩/

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

/ˌbɑðəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/

From bother + -ation (suffix indicating an action or process, or its result).

suffix

"Botheration ! Who cares ? Why don't you ask if [our ancestors] carried pocket-books ?"

Botheration! How she had crumpled her skirt, kneeling in that idiotic way.

1918, Katherine Mansfield, "Prelude" in Selected Stories, Oxford World's Classics paperback, 2002, p. 120

"Blast and botheration!" exclaimed Digory. "What's gone wrong now? [...]"

1955, C. S. Lewis, chapter 3, in The Magician's Nephew, Collins, published 1998:

A mild expression of annoyance or exasperation: bother!


sod

(UK, Ireland, vulgar) expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, frustration.


clang

1570, of imitative origin; Compare also Saterland Frisian Kloang, West Frisian klank, Dutch klank, German Klang (from klingen), Danish and Swedish klang, Latin clangere.

Imitative of a loud metallic ringing sound.

(humorous) Said after someone has name-dropped (mentioned a famous person with whom they are acquainted).


damnation

From Middle English dampnacioun, from Old French dampnacion, from Latin damnatio.

Oh damnation! The window doesn't shut!

Expressing annoyance or disappointment; damn; dammit.


breaker

From Middle English breker, brekere, equivalent to break + -er. Cognate with Dutch breker, German Brecher.

breaker one nine

Breaker to the Bandit

1977, Smokey and the Bandit, spoken by Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason):

(US, dated) Used to open a conversation or call for a response on CB radio.


dun

How would you deal with that power? (Dun, dun, DUN! Insert dramatic music here.)

2009, Carrie Tucker, I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook, Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, →ISBN:

Dun, dun! Dun, dun! As the music continues, the long shot of Griff's walk is broken down into repeating tight shots of his face, his legs, and his shifting point of view of Brockie.

2015, Lisa Dombrowski, The Films of Samuel Fuller: If You Die, I’ll Kill You, page 113:

'DUN DUN DUN DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN DUN DUN DUNDUN-DUN-DUN... PRESSURE!' By 2.05 a.m. I am Very Awake Indeed and the catastrophising continues.

2016, Helen Russell, Leap Year: How small steps can make a giant difference:

Whenever that iconic riff in the score cued up—Dun dun ... dun dun ... dun dun dun dun dun-dun-dun-dun ... —Jack's heart would race, and she'd feel the fear on her skin.

2020, Spencer Hamilton, The Fear: A Pandemic Horror Novel:

Imitating a deep bass note, such as that found in suspenseful music.


woe

From Middle English wo, wei, wa, from Old English wā, wǣ, from Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai (interjection), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wáy (interjection).
See also Dutch wee, German Weh, weh, Danish ve, Yiddish וויי (vey); also Latin vae, Albanian vaj, French ouais, Ancient Greek οὐαί (ouaí), Persian وای (vây) (Turkish vay, a Persian borrowing), Proto-Slavic *uvy (whence Russian увы́ (uvý)), and Armenian վայ (vay).

Miranda: O woe, the day.

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 2:


hep

Hep, two, three four! Hep, two, three four!

Alternative form of hup (“part of marching cadence”)


hep

From German hep or Hepp-Hepp, an interjection used to attack Jewish people. The origin of the German source is unknown, but may come from a goatherd’s call.

Let us hope that the modern “Hep-Hep” cry of Antisemitism of to-day will be accompanied by a similar level of Judaism.

1893, Emanuel Schreiber, Historians of Judaism in the Nineteenth Century, page 13:

(historical) A rallying cry in attacks on the Jewish people.


'scuse

'Scuse, can I come past?


sage

Borrowed from Japanese sage (sage), from Japanese 下げる (sageru, “to lower”). From 2channel.

sage in all fields

(4chan, Internet slang) Word used in the email field of imageboards to prevent a bump of the post. Used as an option rather than a word in some imageboard software.


ruff

"Ruff, ruff!" Around the corner, a little light brown, short-haired dog came running. On seeing the little brown terrier, Annie and Marie looked at one another. Letting out a moan, Annie said, "Oh no, it's JB! I wish Joyce would take him to dog school and have him taught some manners."

2014, Suzan Kayaalp, “The Visitor”, in The Adventures of Lucky the Duck, New York, N.Y.: Page Publishing, →ISBN:


victory

The noun is derived from Middle English victory, victori, victorie (“supremacy, victory; a defeat or vanquishing, conquest; superior military force; might, power, strength; triumphal celebration or procession; monument commemorating a defeat; superior position, dominance; mastery; moral victory, vindication; success, triumph; redemption, salvation; resurrection of Jesus; means of achieving spiritual victory; reward for or token of perseverance in a spiritual struggle”) [and other forms], borrowed from Anglo-Norman victorie and Old French victorie, a variant of victoire (“victory, win”) (modern French victoire), from Latin victōria (“victory”), from victor (“champion, winner, victor; conqueror, vanquisher”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to contain, envelop; to overcome”)) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). The English word is analysable as victor + -y (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state), and displaced Middle English siȝe, sye.
The interjection is derived from the noun.
cognates
* French victoire
* Italian vittoria
* Portuguese vitoria
* Spanish victoria
* Romanian victorie

nb...

victorye, viktori, vitorie, vittori, vittorie, vyctory, vyktorye, (Kent) fictorie, fyctorye, (Northern England) wictori, wictorie, wictorrie

suffix

Saint George and Victory; fight Souldiers, fight: […]

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, [Act IV, scene vi], page 113, column 1:

Victory! Victory to the prostrate nations! / Bear witness Night, and ye mute Constellations / Who gaze on us from your crystalline cars! / Thoughts have gone forth whose powers can sleep no more! / Victory! Victory!

1817 December (indicated as 1818), Percy B[ysshe] Shelley, “Canto Fifth”, in Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. […], London: […] [F]or Sherwood, Neely, & Jones, […]; and C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […]; by B[uchanan] M‘Millan, […], →OCLC, stanza LI, section 6, page 123:

Victory! Victory! Russia's famish'd eagles / Dare not to prey beneath the crescent's light.

1821 (date written), Percy B[ysshe] Shelley, Hellas: A Lyrical Drama, London: Charles and James Ollier […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 47:

Used to encourage someone to achieve success, or to celebrate a success or triumph.

voitto kotiin

used to encourage someone to achieve success, or to celebrate a success or triumph


farewell

From Middle English farewel, from fare wel! (and the variants with the personal pronoun "fare ye well" and "fare you well" used in the Renaissance), an imperative expression, possibly further derived from Old English *far wel!, equivalent to fare (“to fare, travel, journey”) + well. Compare Scots farewele, fairweill (“farewell”), Saterland Frisian Foarwäil (“farewell”), West Frisian farwol (“farewell”), German Fahrwol, Fahrwohl,
East Frisian forwal,
Dutch vaarwel (“farewell (sadly)”), Danish farvel (“farewell”), Norwegian farvel (“farewell”), Swedish farväl (“farewell”), Faroese farvæl (“goodbye”), Icelandic far vel (“farewell”). The extensive list of cognates suggests a postulated ultimate Proto-Germanic phrase of origin, possibly something akin to *far wela.

compound

He said "Farewell!" and left.

So farewell hope, and with hope, farewell fear.

1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

Fareweel, my rhyme-compoſing billie!
Your native ſoil was right ill-willie;
But may ye flouriſh like a lily,
Now bonilie!
I'll toaſt ye in my hindmoſt gillie,
Tho' owre the Sea!

1786 July 31, Robert Burns, “On a Scotch Bard Gone to the West Indies”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire: Printed by John Wilson, →OCLC; reprinted Kilmarnock: James McKie, March 1867, →OCLC, page 184:


neat

From Middle English nete, net, nette, from Anglo-Norman neit (“good, desirable, clean”), a variant of Old French net, nette (“clean, clear, pure”), from Latin nitidus (“gleaming”), derived from nitēre (“to shine”). Doublet of net and nitid. Cognate with German nett (“nice, kind”).


tally

(US)

(Air Traffic Control): Speedbird 123, New York, traffic at two o’clock, seven miles, a Boeing 737, west-bound, at 4000 feet.

(Pilot): New York, Speedbird 123, tally.


Yule

From Middle English yol, youle, from Old English ġeōl (“Christmas, Yule”), either cognate with or from Old Norse jól, from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą. Cognate with Gothic 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis); see also Old English ġēola and Old Norse ýlir.

In the Countrey churches, at Christmas in the Holy-daies after Prayers, they will dance in the Church, and as they doe dance, they cry (or sing) Yole, Yole, Yole etc.

1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 5:

(obsolete) A proclamation of joy at Christmas.


OMG

An abbreviation of oh my God, although sometimes glossed using minced oaths to avoid offense. In its first attestation, also intended as a punning reference to the Order of St Michael and St George.

/ˌəʊ.ɛmˈd͡ʒiː/

/ˌoʊ.ɛmˈd͡ʒiː/

OMG, I just won tickets to a concert! Today is the best day ever!

…and then he said I was ugly, so I punched him in the face. — OMG, really?

I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis—O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)—Shower it on the Admiralty!!

1917 September 9, John A.F. Fisher, letter to Winston Churchill:

10 Bands, 50 bands, 100 bands, fuck it, man / Let's just not even discuss it, man / OMG, niggas sleep, I ain't trippin', I'ma let 'em sleep

2015, “10 Bands”, in If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, performed by Drake:

(chiefly Internet slang) An exclamation of excitement, surprise, shock etc.; oh my God


tripe

From Middle English tripe, from Old French tripe (“entrails”), of uncertain origin; possibly borrowed from Spanish tripa.

(derogatory) That (what has just been said) is untrue.


yep

Representing yeah pronounced with the mouth snapped closed at the end. Compare yup, nope, welp, and ope. Compare also German jap (“yep”).


snap

From Dutch snappen (“to bite; seize”) or Low German snappen (“to bite; seize”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *snappōn, from Proto-Germanic *snappōną (“to snap; snatch; chatter”), intensive form of *snapāną (”to snap; grab”, whence Old Norse snapa (“to get; scrounge”)), from Proto-Indo-European *snop-; compare Lithuanian snãpas (“beak, bill”). (One alternative hypothesis links the Germanic words to *snu-, an expressive root deriving words meaning “nose”, “snout”, “sniff” etc., but this is phonetically unsound.) In any case influenced by onomatopoeia; note expressions such as snip-snap, containing the formally unrelated snip.
Cognate with West Frisian snappe (“to get; catch; snap”), German schnappen (“to grab”), Swedish snappa (“to snatch”).
The verb is derived from the noun.

gloss

”to snap; grab”, whence Old Norse <i class="Latn mention" lang="non">snapa</i> (“to get; scrounge”)

sound-symbolic

expressive

onom

onomatopoeia

cog

The cry used in a game of snap when winning a hand.

Snap! We've both got pink buckets and spades.

(British, Australia, by extension) "I've got one the same!", "Me too!"

(British) Ritual utterance of agreement (after the cry in the card game snap).

I just ran over your phone with my car. —Oh, snap!

(Canada, US) Used in place of expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously.

a manóba

used in place of expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously

—Wasn't that John? —Wasn't that John? —Snap!

(British, Australia, New Zealand) Ritual utterance used after something is said by two people at exactly the same time.


w/e

- Did you hear about what happened to John yesterday?

- w/e, I don't care.

(text messaging, Internet slang) Abbreviation of whatever.


honour

British, Canadian, Commonwealth, and Ireland standard spelling of honor.


gorblimey

Representing a Cockney pronunciation of God blind me!; traditionally, people would curse using contractions rather than breaking the third commandment (Do not use the Lord's name in vain oaths). Compare strewth, zounds, sblood.

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Expressing surprise, anger, etc.


baccare

back and Latin -āre. A cant word of the Elizabethan writers, probably in ridicule of some person who pretended to a knowledge of Latin which he did not possess.

Baccare! you are marvelous forward.

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 ii]:


goshdarnit

Contraction of gosh + darn + it, euphemistic forms of God and damn. Compare goshdangit, goddammit.


damnit

(especially Southern US) Synonym of dammit


gosh

Altered from God. First seen in 1757 as by gosh, probably from by gosse in Nicholas Udall's Ralph Roister Doister (circa 1553).

Gosh, I didn’t realize I’d cause so much trouble!

Gosh, I’d love to go to that concert!

(minced oath, euphemistic) A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.

Nicholas Udall
Ralph Roister Doister
gosh


sigh

From Middle English sighe (“sigh”), from sighen (“to sigh”) (see [[#Etymology 1]]).

Sigh, I'm so bored at work today.

An expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, frustration, or the like, often used in casual written contexts.

唉

expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, frustration or the like


alley oop

Borrowed from French allez-hop!, the cry of a circus acrobat about to leap. From allez (“go! let's go!”), 2nd-person plural or formal indicative form of aller, and hop, onomatopoeic.

I fortunately found a spark plug on the burn and got that repaired and alley oop!

1917 September 9, B.S. Walcott, letter printed in the 6 Feb. 1918 Princeton Alumni Weekly, p. 389

Allez--... --oop!
Beautiful! Great flip Mike!

1985, Kevin Eastman & al., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. I, No. 4, page 2

‘Alley-oop,’ he said, and he lifted her out of her seat as easily as if she were a bag of laundry.

2003, Antoinette Stockenberg, A Month at the Shore, page 185:

Encouraging or calling attention to a physical performance, especially one involving an upwards lift or leap.


Jove

From Middle English Joves, from Latin Iuppiter, Iovis, from Proto-Italic *djowe-, ablative case of *djous, from Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws. Doublet of Dyeus and Zeus.

"I promise to take care of myself. Yes; I won't take any risks. Not a single blessed risk. Of course not. I mean to hang out. Don't worry. Jove! I feel as though nothing could touch me. Why! this is luck from the word Go."

1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page xxiii. 177:


result

Recorded since 1432 as Middle English resulten, from Medieval Latin resultare, in Classical Latin "to spring forward, rebound", the frequentative of the past participle of resilio (“to rebound”), from re- (“back”) + salio (“to jump, leap”).

'Yes! Result! Game on!' He leans forward to a mike fixed over the desk and presses one of the […]

1997, Jane Owen, Camden girls, page 117:

'Yes! Result, Nick!' He heard a distant cheer. 'Right, well I'll give you a ring on Saturday, make the arrangements.

2002, Lissa Evans, Spencer's List, →ISBN, page 28:

I was lucky enough to win by a knock-out in the second round - My opponent was Tpr McAdoo - HQ squadron won by nine fights to three (21pts to 15pts) - YES! RESULT.

2006, Trooper 7H, Hong Kong Revisited, →ISBN, page 34:

(picking a lock) I wonder what I did...
(the lock opens) Hey hey, result!

2010 April 10, Amy Pond, in The Beast Below (series 5, episode 2), written by Steven Moffat

(UK) An exclamation of joy following a favorable outcome.


dammit

(mildly vulgar) Expressing anger, irritation, contempt, or disappointment.


From the 1940 ten-codes devised by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), based on an unnamed standard invented by Charles "Charlie" Hopper for the Illinois District 10 State Police in 1937 that subsequently spread to the rest of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota and documented by APCO in 1939. "Ten" was originally chosen to help novice operators fill an appropriate amount of time so that the dynamotor used to power 1930s radio transmitters could spin up to full power before the second number was transmitted. The second numbers were assigned with the aim that more useful common messages would be given smaller numbers, and similar messages would be roughly grouped into "brackets". The message "acknowledged" was expected to be extremely common and useful, and so was mapped to "four", the first available number after the three codes used to report and manage connection quality, which the committee gave highest priority.

“Are you pulling in at the next truckstop?” “That's a big 10-4 on that.”

By golly, it's clean clear to Flag Town, c'mon
Yeah, that's a big 10-4 there, Pig Pen.

1975, “Convoy”, in C.W. McCall, Chip Davis (lyrics), Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:

Ten-four, good buddy.

Dingo: 'Look, that's just what my gut is telling me, OK?! Yon! Cure this one for me tomorrow!' / Yonny: 'Copy that, roger, ten-four, and so on. I'll begin preparing the medicine right away.'

2023 July 21, Nintendo EPD, Pikmin 4, Nintendo, level/area: Rescue Command Post:

Message received, understood, acknowledged.


aw

Aw, that's too bad...

Used to express disappointment or dismay.

Aw, dad, why can't we go to Legoland?

Used to express mild protest, entreaty, consternation, or disapproval.

Aw, you've got such a cute baby bird!


bah

Early 19th century, probably borrowed from French bah.

"To the doctor's? Bah!" said the sorceress, and spat upon the floor.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 301:

Templeton looked over the assembled servants speculatively, then shrugged. "Bah!" he said. "They're of no use to me. Come, Andrew, a word with you upstairs."

1992, April Kihlstrom, Dangerous Masquerade:

(sometimes humorous) Expressing contempt, disgust, or bad temper.


Ichabod

From Biblical Hebrew אִיכָבוֹד (ʾīḵāḇōḏ, literally “no honor”), from אִי (ʾī, “not”) + כָּבוֹד (kāḇōḏ, “honor”); alluding to 1 Samuel 4:21, where Eli’s daughter-in-law names her child Ichabod, saying ‘The glory is departed from Israel.’

der

”Better the tomb of her fathers than the dishonourable couch of the licentious and savage Templar. Ichabod! Ichabod! the glory hath departed from my house!”

Ichabod; is the glory departing from us? Under the sun is nothing baser, by all accounts and evidences, than the system of repression and corruption, of shameless dishonesty and unbelief in anything but human baseness, that we now live under.

1850, Thomas Carlyle, Latter-Day Pamphlets: The present time:

Except for the library, the eastern wing, from the Tower of Flints onwards, was now but a procession of forgotten and desolate relics, an Ichabod of masonry that filed silently along an avenue of dreary pine whose needles hid the sky.

1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC:

Ichabod, felt Lord Emsworth, and was still in a disturbed state of mind, though gradually becoming soothed by listening to that sweetest of all music, the sound of the Empress restoring her tissues.

Expressing regret at a loss of former glory or high standards.


speaking

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

nonlemma

(telephony) Indication that the person requested is the same as the one who is currently speaking.

на телефона

indication that the person requested is the same as the one who is currently speaking


shh

From hush. Likely imitative of a non-verbal utterance. Compare Scots whisht (“hush!”).


aiya

(China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Chinese Filipino, Chinese Australian, informal) ah; oh; exclamation of surprise, blame, dismay, shock, or fear.


'sblood

Minced form of God's blood. Primarily from the Middle Ages up to the early modern era, and to a rare extent today, people would curse on God's or Christ's body parts rather than breaking the Second Commandment (not to use the Lord's name in vain oaths). In this case, the exclamation refers to Christ's blood shed during the crucifixion, and the Eucharist in the form of wine.

'Sblood, I would my face were in your belly.

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

"'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?"

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

"S'blood; does that astonish you?"

1846, Alexandre Dumas, chapter 5, in William Barrow, transl., The Three Musketeers, page 62:

(archaic, minced oath) An exclamation formerly used as an oath, and an expression of anger or wonder.

palsambleu

exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis


blimey

A minced oath derived from (God) blind me (either concurrent with or from a clipping of cor blimey or gorblimey), or blame me. Compare crivvens, drat, etc.

Blimey! I didn’t see that!

Blimey! Where did you come from?

I know the chap that started the lie. There ain't no Invisible Man whatsoever—Blimey.

1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “At Port Stowe”, in The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 120:

'But, if there's room, aren't they bound to take me in?' / 'Course they are,—and, blimey, if I was you I'd make 'em. Blimey I would!'

1897 September, Richard Marsh [pseudonym; Richard Bernard Heldmann], “Outside”, in The Beetle: A Mystery, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin […], published August 1907, →OCLC, book I (The House with the Open Window), page 4:

Blimy if I don't believe 'e's taking 'ome 'is washing up his back.

1908 September, Jerome K[lapka] Jerome, “Passing of the Third Floor Back”, in Passing of the Third Floor Back, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, →OCLC, page 2:

If you're the O'Reilly, they speak of so highly, / Why blime me, O'Reilly, you're doing quite well.

1915, Harry S. Miller (lyrics and music), “Blime Me, O’Reilly (You’re Doing Quite Well) [cover title: Blime Me Mr. O’Reilly but You’re Looking Mighty Well]”, New York, N.Y.: The Cadillac Music; Springfield, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.: A. H. Goetting, →OCLC, page 5:

"Blimey," he said, "this is a bit er orl roight! Never thought yer'd be ible to tork our lingo like a blinkin' nitive. Cahm orn—let's 'op it to the kerridge!"

1919, The Windsor Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women, volume IV, London: Ward, Lock and Bowden, →OCLC, page 99, column 1:

"Blimey!" he says in his rough, shepherd's voice, "blimey, but it's cruel 'ard to be chucked out of one's digs wivout a blarsted word! [...]"

1935, Kenneth [Lewis] Roberts, “For Authors Only”, in For Authors Only: And Other Gloomy Essays, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, →OCLC, page 11:

‘Blimy, Will,’ he said confidentially.

1988, Alan Hollinghurst, The Swimming-Pool Library, New York, N.Y.: Random House, published 2010, →ISBN:

‘Blimey,’ said Barnaby. ‘Come on, Jack, quick as you can.’ / ‘Blimey,’ said Jack. ‘Blimey blimey blimey.’

1996, Penny Vincenzi, The Dilemma, London: Headline Review, published 2007, →ISBN, page 311:

‘Blimey,’ said Laurie. ‘Is she serious? Was it something I said?’

2009, Duncan Campbell, chapter 5, in If It Bleeds, London: Headline Publishing Group, published 2011, →ISBN:

According to an Australian gunner, 'a nostalgic little new-arrival' among the Tommies asked: 'Is it true all you Aussies are volunteers?' When told that it was, '… he hesitated a moment. Then he blurted out: "Blime, choom, y' must 've 'ad a fair ——— of a 'ome-life!"'

2013, Mark Johnston, “Introduction”, in Anzacs in the Middle East: Australian Soldiers, Their Allies and the Local People in World War II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Port Melbourne, Vic.: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 1:

(UK, Commonwealth, Ireland) Used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.

ostres

used to express anger, excitement, surprise, etc.


bingo

Alternative form of bing, suggesting a ringing sound. Attested since 1925.

Used by players of bingo to claim a win.

‘Some big, hard-boiled egg meets up with a pretty face, and bingo! He cracks up and melts.’

1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 31:

Just have to pick the bfast, lunch and dinner I feel most like eating today and – bingo!

2009 February 28, Megan Ogilvie, “Flex your plan for healthier eating”, in Toronto Star:

Megamind: Boingo!
Minion: I think you mean "bingo", sir.
Megamind: That's what I said. Boingo!

2011 February 25, Alan Schoolcraft, Brent Simons, 7:35 from the start, in Simon J. Smith, director, Megamind: The Button of Doom (DVD/Blu-ray), Paramount Pictures:

(informal) Used when finding what one has been looking for or trying to recall, or on successful completion of a task.

(informal) Used to enthusiastically confirm or validate another speaker's point.


tanks

Respectable girl meet after mass. Tanks awfully muchly.

1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 11: Sirens]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 253:


eh

Natural exclamation; first recorded mid-16th century. Perhaps an unstressed variant of aye (“yes, yeah”).
The Philippine sense is possibly influenced by Tagalog e and/or Spanish eh.

onomatopoeic

exclamation

These hot dogs are pretty good, eh?

Well, what dost thou think then of seeing the world? Do ye wish to go round Cape Horn to see any more of it, eh? Can’t ye see the world where you stand?

(informal, chiefly Canada, Northern US, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Ireland, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Commonwealth) Used as a tag question, to emphasise what goes before or to request that the listener express an opinion about what has been said.

In isolation, a request for repetition or clarification of what has just been said; compare what, pardon.

In isolation, expressing surprise or confusion; compare wha, huh, za.

I went to the restaurant, eh, but my friends didn't show up.

(chiefly Canada) An interjection used to ascertain the continued attention of someone addressed by the speaker.

hè

(Canadian) an interjection used to ascertain the continued attention

—Do you feel like going out tonight?
—Eh, I don't know.

“Look, Mom; I made the real rocket, based on the macaroni prototype!” “…Eh.”

2010, Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, directors, Despicable Me:

Expressing apathy or lack of enthusiasm; meh.

—Why is it like this?
—Eh, It's like that eh.

(Philippines) Expressing apprehension following or preceding a reasoning or excuse; uh.


eh

From Hokkien 欸 (--eh) and Mandarin 欸 (ê̄ / ế / ê̌, interjection).

(Singlish, usually impolite) Hey, oi; said to get someone's attention.

Eh, please don't say that...

(uncommon) An interjection expressing disapproval.

(with rising pitch) Huh?; expresses confusion.


eh

Probably of multiple motivations, the sounds having been chosen for functional reasons.

Eh, come here!

Eh, what do you have?

E-, e-, eh, I'm on vacation / Every single day 'cause I love my occupation

(MLE, MTE, regional African-American Vernacular, Chicano) an attention grabber

(informal, Internet slang) A greeting between friends (typically male) or display of approval.


good morning

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔːnɪŋ/

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔɹnɪŋ/

From Middle English gud mornynge (also as goode morne, gode morne), from Old English *gōdne morgen (“good morning”), an ellipsis for an expression such as "I wish you a good morning", equivalent to good + morning. Compare West Frisian goeie moarn, Dutch goedemorgen, German guten Morgen, Danish god morgen, Swedish god morgon, Icelandic góðan morgunn.

inh

"Good morning, Joan," said Judy at 9:00 AM.

The host began with "Good morning, your majesties, presidents, prime ministers and other dear guests."

"Good morning, Joey. Want to play on the slide at recess?" asked the five-year-old.

Other rules learnt by butlers include lighting candles 15 minutes before guests enter a room, and not saying "good morning" to guests until you are 5ft away.

2019 December 15, Hugh Graham, Alice Hutton, “Milk or tea first? Charles's butlers have the answer”, in The Sunday Times, number 10,188, page 5:

Used as a greeting when meeting someone for the first time in the morning.

уа, шьыжьы бзиа

when seeing someone for the first time in the morning

እንደምን አደርሽ

ʾəndämn ʾädärš

Thank you for coming everyone and I hope to see you again next year. Good morning.

(less common, more formal) A parting in the morning.

Up at the crack of dusk! Good morning!

(by extension, humorous) Used to greet someone who has just awakened (irrespective of the time of day).

You're just realizing that now? Good morning!

(by extension, informal) Said to someone who has come to a belated realization.


huzzah

Likely originally a hoisting cry, possibly related to hoise. Compare possibly cognate Swedish hissa (“to hoist; huzzah”), Spanish izar (“to hoist”) and French Ho, hisse! (“Hey, hoist!”). First attested in the 1570s.

(nautical, dated) Used as a call for coordinated physical effort, as in hoisting.

Deposed King: 'KING KNIGHT REIGNS NO MORE? HUZZAH! NOW I CAN RULE PRIDEMOOR! HURRAH!'

2014, Yacht Club Games, Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, Nintendo 3DS, level/area: Village:

(literary, poetic, archaic, sometimes humorous) Used as a cheer indicating exaltation, enjoyment or approval.


honor

From Middle English honour, honor, honur, from Anglo-Norman honour, honur, from Old French honor, from Latin honor.
Displaced Middle English menske (“honor, dignity among men”), from Old Norse menskr (“honor”) (see mensk).
The verb is from Middle English honouren, honuren (“to honor”).

cog

“Not a ha’porth. Different gangs and different ships. He was tried again for prison breaking, and got made a Lifer.”
“And was that—Honour!—the only time you worked out, in this part of the country?”
“The only time.”

1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations:


sniff

From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.

onomatopoeic

imitative

a wild boar is laughing and Obelix is crying
Wild boar classified a protected species
First reaction from dismayed costumers:
“Boohoohoo! Sniff!”

2009, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28:

A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.


mahalo

From Hawaiian mahalo, from Proto-Eastern Polynesian *masalo.


hike

From English dialectal hyke (“to walk vigorously”), probably a Northern form of hitch, from Middle English hytchen, hichen, icchen (“to move, jerk, stir”). Cognate with Scots hyke (“to move with a jerk”), dialectal German hicken (“to hobble, walk with a limp”), Danish hinke (“to hop”). More at hick.

cog

Let's go; get moving. A command to a dog sled team, given by a musher.


dildo

Related to other nonsense syllables like dido and diddle(-diddle), which similarly developed sexual senses. Found since at least the 1500s, often in contexts where allusion is being made to the sexual sense (above). Possibly influenced by Middle English dildoun (“darling, pet”), early modern English dildin (“sweetheart”); compare Old Norse dilla (“to lull”), dillindo (“lullaby”).

He hath songs for man or woman, of all sizes;[…] with such delicate burthens of dildos and fadings,

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

Will you buy a fine dog, with a hole in his head?
With a dildo, dildo, dildo; […]

c. 1600, Thomas Morley, Will You Buy a Fine Dog?:

oh Vrsula, Vrsula pity me with a dildo, dildo, dillory?

c. 1600-1636, William Sampson, The Vow Breaker:

(obsolete) A burden: a phrase or theme that recurs at the end of a verse of a folk song.


negative

/ˈnɛ(e)ɡəˌɾɪv/

From Middle English negative, negatif, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus (“that denies, negative”), from negāre (“to deny”); see negate.

der

"Negative Marcel. No IOC. Patient has been drinking heavily, we can give him nothing for pain."

1980, Richard Louis Newmann, Siege of Orbitor, page xxiv. 93:


woo

"I got you a new cell phone." "Woo, that's great!"

(slang) Expressing joy or excitement; woohoo, yahoo.


cheerio

/ˈtʃɪəɹ.i.əʊ/

/ˈt͡ʃɪəɹ.i.oʊ/

嗨

translations to be checked: exclamation used when greeting as well as when parting

"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:

But we all knew it wasn't the final end of the HST. This wasn't "goodbye", more like a "cheerio, see you someplace soon".

2019 October 23, Pip Dunn, “The next king of Scotland”, in Rail, page 50:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, informal) Goodbye, an interjection said upon parting.

Cheerio, everybody! What a delightful gathering of charming femininity!


RIP

Learned borrowing from Latin RIP (requiescat in pace) and an initialism of rest in peace.

RIP Vine. Only real ones remember.

A couple of locally owned restaurants I enjoyed in my town didn't survive covid. RIP the one Indian food place within 100 miles.

2022 October 24, u/5hrs4hrs3hrs2hrs1mor, “What is something that disappeared after the pandemic?”, in Reddit, r/AskReddit, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

Damn my stream was lit lol rip to my twitch days YouTube here I come

2022 October 27, @cblu80, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

rip lol [in response to a Twitch streamer getting banned]

2024 May 6, @TweetFrmPkmn, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

Damn, RIP my original Ipad, the one that this journey started on. You will be missed 😔

2024 May 26, @ArkNemesis5, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

requiescat in pace
requiescat in pace#English

requiescant in pace
requiescant in pace#English

Initialism of requiescat in pace, requiescant in pace, and rest in peace (a blessing or expression of hope that a deceased person is at peace).

(informal, loosely, often ironic) Expressing disappointment at the fact that someone or something has come to an end or gone away.

That jumpscare is so loud! RIP headphone users.

RIP your DMs.

RIP your wood floors if he drops that like my dog drops bones.

2020 August 10, u/WhyYouLikeCats, “This good boy carries a 30-pound weight everywhere he goes as his toy”, in Reddit, r/interestingasfuck, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

Damn just realized I ratio'd Pete pretty hard lol rip bozo

2021 November 25, @Ollie_XVX, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

(I'm not sure what this person was going on about, but rip whoever you mistook me for lol)

2023 December 4, @OddOblivion, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

RIP my notifications. 😑

2024 April 30, @TheBattlecock, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

RIP my mentions

2024 May 31, @aziz0nomics, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

RIP to the clothing company that had to change its name a few years back specifically because of this joke lmao

2024 June 6, u/AccountForDoingWORK, “Idiot decided to start yelling every night at 2 am”, in Reddit, r/mildlyinfuriating, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

(slang, humorous, hyperbolic, often ironic) Expressing concern about something bad happening to someone or something.

I applied to dozens of companies and didn't get a single job offer, RIP.

Oops I slipped and posted some of my art rip

2022 February 7, @Bakunawaart, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

rip I forgot it was orktober (it is always orktober to me) but here's a bear gorkanaut from my bear/duck themed bad moonz army. Happy orktober 2nd

2022 October 2, @BDClownFarm, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

I said I was loving Unicorn Overlord and that it reminded me of Ogre Battle and Matsuno told me this lol rip

2024 March 13, @statesminds, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

(slang, loosely) Expressing mild disappointment or embarrassment.

RIP, my dear friend.

But Sandor shoves his knife through his brother’s head, and when that doesn’t stop him, he sacrifices himself to kill his sibling, knocking them from the tower and plunging into the blazing fire below. R.I.P., Sandor Clegane and your malevolent brother.

2019 May 12, Alex McLevy, “Westeros faces a disastrous final battle on the penultimate Game of Thrones (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2019-05-15:

requiescat in pace

(derogatory) Initialism of rest in piss.


you what

(idiomatic, British, Ireland, colloquial) An intensified version of what or huh.

come again?

polite expression to get someone to repeat


wassup

(chiefly US, slang) what's up? (as a greeting)


fore

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

(golf) An exclamation yelled to inform players a ball is moving in their direction.

fore

in golf: yelled to inform players a ball is moving in their direction


howdy

Sranan Tongo: odi

Shortened form of "how d'ye (do)" (i.e. how do you do).

Howdy folks, and welcome to our ninth annual chili cookoff!

(chiefly Texas, informal) An informal greeting.


throw up

The vomit sense is a clipping of throw up one's accounts (18th century), from earlier idiom cast up one's accounts (15th century).

"Oh, throw up," thought Rayne. "Don't say they've taken a fancy to each other."

Oh, throw up. Really? Since when does Hannah need to be rescued by anyone for anything?

2018, Hillary Homzie, Apple Pie Promises, Sky Pony Press:

Oh throw up... Biden & Harris are both losers.

Oh throw up. Pringle is better than Hardman. Chiefs done for a long ass time

(dismissal) Used as an expression of frustration or to dismiss a conversation partner.


ratio

/ˈɹeɪ.ʃi.əʊ/

/ˈɹeɪ.ʃiˌoʊ/

Borrowed from Latin ratiō. Doublet of ration and reason.

L + ratio

"Ratio. YoungBoy is better." "What?" "Make better music. You fell off."

(neologism, Twitter) Indicates disagreement with a post the user disagrees with or dislikes.


oy

Borrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”).

An exclamation typically expressing mild frustration or expressing feelings of uncertainty or concern.


oy

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Alternative spelling of oi (“hey, hi, yo”)


mush

Believed to be a contraction of mush on, from Michif, in turn a corruption of French marchons! and marche!, the cry of the voyageurs and coureurs de bois to their dogs.

"An' of course the dogs can hike along all day with that contraption behind them," affirmed a second of the men. / "Certainly," said Hal, with freezing politeness, taking hold of the gee-pole with one hand and swinging his whip from the other. "Mush!" he shouted. "Mush on there!" / The dogs sprang against the breast-bands, strained hard for a few moments, then relaxed. They were unable to move the sled.

1903 July, Jack London, “The Toil of Trace and Trail”, in The Call of the Wild, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, pages 130–131:

A directive given (usually to dogs or a horse) to start moving, or to move faster.


get lost

(colloquial, dismissal, impolite) Used to rudely tell somebody to go away or leave one alone.


hardly

From Middle English hardely, hardliche, from Old English heardlīċe (“boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that causes pain; not easily; only by degrees”), equivalent to hard + -ly. Compare Dutch hardelijk, German härtlich.

inh

I think the Beatles are a really overrated band. ― Hardly!


good evening

An ellipsis for an expression such as "I wish you a good evening.".

Good evening everyone and welcome to our 34th annual general meeting.

(generally formal in US, Canada) Used as a greeting in the evening.

ܪܲܡܫܘܼܟ݂ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšūḵ brīḵā

ܪܲܡܫܵܟ݂ܝ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšāḵ brīḵā

ܪܲܡܫܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšāwḵōn brīḵā


howzat

(cricket) The cry used by members of the fielding team to make an appeal to the umpire.


warning

Used to warn of danger in signs and notices.


hum

From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”); akin to Dutch hommelen (“to bumble, buzz”), dialectal Dutch hommen (“to buzz, hum”), Middle High German hummen (“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.

onomatopoeic

imitative

Hum! hum! What's all this?

1890 February, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Baker Street Irregulars”, in The Sign of Four (Standard Library), London: Spencer Blackett […], →OCLC, page 157:

Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.

hmm

Ah, now this is why we must proceed with great circumspection. They were both, hum, “put out” themselves.

1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, page 19:

Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.


based

A reference to freebase cocaine, via basehead. Coined by American rapper from California (born 1989) Lil B to describe his lifestyle.

coinage

—There is no ethics in communism—Based.

(Internet slang, sometimes humorous) Indicating emphatic approval of a statement or opinion, often a controversial or unpopular one.


meh

Popularized by the American television show The Simpsons; first used on the show in the episode titled "Sideshow Bob Roberts" (1994).
Possibly ultimately from Yiddish מע (me, “so-so”). First attested in 1928.

“What do you want for dinner?” — “Meh. I’m not really hungry.”

“That film was awesome!” — “Meh. I’ve seen better.”

Marge: [weaving on a loom] “Hi Bart, I’m weaving on a loom!”
Bart: “Meh”.

1995 March 19, “Lisa's Wedding”, in The Simpsons:

Scientists say that while the public may think of the moon as a problem solved and a bit retro – the place astronauts visited a half-dozen times way back before Watergate and then abandoned with a giant "meh" from mankind – in fact, lunar studies is a vibrant enterprise that is yielding a wealth of surprises.

2014 September 7, Natalie Angier, “The Moon comes around again [print version: Revisiting a moon that still has secrets to reveal: Supermoon revives interest in its violent origins and hidden face, International New York Times, 10 September 2014, p. 8]”, in The New York Times:

(slang) Expressing indifference or lack of enthusiasm.

hm

slang: expressing indifference or lack of enthusiasm


meh

'Mehh,' they say to the ewes, and the ewes answer, ¶ 'Meeehh.' ¶ 'Mheh.' ¶ 'Meh-meh.'

2017, Amanda Craig, The Lie of the Land, London: Little, Brown, →ISBN, page 318:

Cookie was bouncing around stacks of brightly colored tires, mehhing happily, while Scal stood on one end of a teeter-totter like he was king of the world.

2020, Heather Blake, A Witch to Remember, New York, N.Y.: Crooked Lane, →ISBN, page 139:

A bleating sound, as that of a sheep or goat.


oh my heck

(US, Mormonism, euphemistic) for "Hell" from "Oh my hell" or "Oh hell!"


allo

Alternative spelling of 'allo (“hello”).