Alley-Oop

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Thu, 7 Apr 2005 04:29:39 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer
<bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:

>I found "allez-oop" back to 1923 in a circus context.
[...]
>-----
>1923 _Chronicle Telegram_ (Elyria, Ohio) 1 Feb. 11/2 Allez-oop! Hoop-la!
>Popcorn, peanuts and pink lemonade!!! Everybody seems to be ready for the
>big circus except the public.
>-----

There are no doubt many earlier variations on this.  Joseph Conrad's short
story "The Idiots" (written 1896, published in _Tales of Unrest_ 1898) has
"Allez! Houp!"

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http://www.classicbookshelf.com/library/joseph_conrad/tales_of_unrest/6/
"Hey! Come out!" shouted Jean-Pierre, loudly.
The nightingales ceased to sing.
"Nobody?" went on Jean-Pierre. "Nobody there. A swindle of the crows.
That's what this is. Nobody anywhere. I despise it. Allez! Houp!"
-----


--Ben Zimmer