hoo-ha as euphemism

Alice Faber faber at HASKINS.YALE.EDU
Thu Feb 15 16:49:37 UTC 2007


Mark A. Mandel wrote:
> It certainly didn't mean 'vagina' in any of its countless appearances in MAD
> Magazine in the fifties (I'm pretty sure) and sixties (for certain), spelled
> "Hoo-hah!" That's an interjection of astonishment or triumph, borrowed I
> think from Yiddish.
>

The only meaning of "hoo-hah" that's native to me is 'fuss, to-do'. I'm
pretty sure I picked that up from my mother, who was born and raised in
the NY suburbs.

--
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Alice Faber                                    faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                        fax (203) 865-8963

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