Sunday, June 25, 2006

1904

from the OED:

wahoo, int.
DRAFT ENTRY Sept. 2004
orig. and chiefly U.S.
Brit. /whu/, /whu/, U.S. /whu/ [Imitative. Cf. YAHOO int.]

An exclamation used to express excitement, enthusiasm, or delight, or to attract attention.

1904 Washington Post 24 June 3/5 The old stage coach long-drawn yell ‘Wahoo’ was echoed through the hall. 1951 in V. Randolph Pissing in Snow (1976) 118 She kept a-hollering ‘Wahoo! Wahoo!’ 1983 P. FUSSELL Class vii. 167 Noise and vociferation identify the proles, who shout ‘Wahoo!’ at triumphant moments in games. 2000 Red Herring Mar. 416/3 It's $150 million's worth of nothing right now... But if they get even one company to market, then wahoo!

Gravity's Rainbow, 452:
“1904 […] was the year the American Food and Drug people took the cocaine out of Coca-Cola, which gave us