Cheers

Tue Aug 25 02:20:06 UTC 2009

Peter,

I have cleaned up your post and responded below.  Will contact you off list.

"Peter McGraw" <mrlanguageperson at VERIZON.NET> writes:
> I just celebrated my 50-year reunion with about 100 other members of the
> Class of 1959 of West Linn [OR] High School.  Among the e-mail messages we
> have been exchanging before and after this event were some reminiscences
> of one of our oldest teachers (also a former coach), who would sometimes
> enliven the "pep assemblies" that preceded football games by leading the
> student body in cheers used at West Linn games in "the old days."  One
> classmate says this teacher would have been approaching age 70 by the time
> we knew him, so the cheers were probably from the 1920s.  One of these, as
> this same classmate recalls it, went:   "'Oscee Wow Wow! "'Whiskey Wee
> Wee! "'Ol' eye mucky eye!' (or something like that).  "Then, with his arms
> down and in a low voice [he would] simply say 'Wow.'" The third line seems
> to invite a fourth line concluding with the rhyme "West Linn High," but
> this classmate doesn't remember such a line.  I can't summon up a
> recollection of this teacher leading this particular cheer, but I do
> remember hearing the cheer itself somewhere.    The words could be nothing
> more than freely invented nonsense, of course, but it also seems just
> possible they might be a garbled version of some earlier, no longer
> understood ditty of some kind--especially "Ol' eye [ holy?] mucky eye."
>
>   Something along the lines of the children's jump rope ditties that have
> been traced back to old magic spells.    Three questions for the list:
>
>  1) Has anyone else heard this same cheer (or a variation on it)?

Several variants of this cheer are in google books.  See here:

             http://tinyurl.com/kve5yc

Here is one from the 1996 book _My Own Two Feet_ by Beverly Cleary:

     Oski wow-wow!
     Iskey! Wee-wee!
     Holy -- Mucky -- Eye!
     Holy -- Berkeley -- Eye!
     California!
     Wow!"

This is reportedly still the University of California chant.  See here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fFDRB0cbMYsC&lpg=PA47

Both the California chant and another variant for the University of Illinois
can be dated to 1915.  Here is the Illinois chant:

    Oske, wow, wow!  Skin-ne, wow, wow!
    Illinois!  Illinois!  Wow!

>  2) Has anyone heard other cheers like it?

There are numerous college and high school cheers from the early to
mid-twentieth century. Below is a collection from 1915.

>  3) Does anyone have any information or thoughts on the origin of this or
> similar cheers?  Peter McGraw (happily retired from Linfield College)
>

As for origin, I am afraid as with antedating words, it is difficult to say
where and when a particular chant was used.

The following is from 1915 from google books here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fwQTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA155

COLLEGE CHEERS.

These college cheers were collected by means of circulars, and in many cases
they were not plainly written or punctuated. In examining the cheers of
Union, Colorado and Vermont, for instance, it will be seen that it is
important for the words to be properly punctuated. The Kentucky cheer seems
to be incomplete. Anyone who detects any error should immediately report the
same to me. It is important that errors be corrected that they may not
appear in the Manual of the Fraternity, now in press, in which these cheers
will be reprinted. Walter B. Palmer. Bureau of Labor, Washington, D. C.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA,
Hull-a-ba-loo! Ray! Ray! Hull-a-ba-loo! Ray! Ray!
Hoo-ray! Hoo-ray!
'Varsity! 'Varsity! U. of A!
U. of A.! Rah ! Rah ! U. of A.! Rah! Rah !
Old Alabama!

ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
What's the matter with Auburn?
Hoo-hah-hey! She's O. K.!
Auburn! Auburn! Hoo-hah-hey!
Break the axe, the axe, the axe! Break the axe, the axe, the axe!
Zip, rahl Zip, rah! Here we are! Here we are!
Auburn ! Auburn ! Auburn !

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,

Wiske we we!
Oske wow wow!
Oley muck-e-i! Oley Berkeley-i!
California! Wow!

LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY.
Rah! Rah! Rah! Stanford!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Stanford!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Stanford!

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.

[i] Colorado! Rado! Rado!
Rah, Rah! Rah, Rah! Rah !
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Rado! Rado! Colorado!

[2] Colorado, Rah! Colorado, Rah!
Rah, Rah, Colorado!

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA,

Georgia! Rah! Rah! Georgia! Rah! Rah!
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
Georgia ! Rah! Rah!

EMORY COLLEGE

Ge-he! Ge-hi! Ge-hah-hah-hah !
Emory! Emory!
Rah! Rah! Rah!

GEORGIA SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY.

Teck-a-to-reck! to-reck! to-reck!
Teck-a-to-reck! to-reck! to-reck!
Boom ! Rah ! Boom ! Rah! Georgia Tech !

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.
Idaho! Idaho! Rah! -Rah!
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
'Varsity! 'Varsity! Rah ! Rah!

KNOX COLLEGE.

Zip! Rah ! Boom! Rah !
Knox-i! Knox-a-e!
Knox! Knox ! Knox !

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

[ i ] Hol-a-ba-loo! Rah! Rah! Hol-a-ba-loo ! Rah ! Rah ! Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
Illinois! Rah! Rah!

[2] Oske, wow, wow! Skin-ne, wow, wow!
Illinois! Illinois! Wow!

FRANKLIN COLLEGE.

F-R A-N K-L-I-N!
Hur-rah! Hur-rah! We are her men !
Boom-wah-boom! Wah-hoo-wah!
Franklin College! Rah ! Rah! Rah !

INDIANA UNIVERSITY.

Zickety Boom ! Rah ! Rah ! Zickety Boom ! Rah ! Rah !
Hurrah! Hurrah! Indiana! Rah! Rah!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Indiana! Rah! Rah!
Glo-riana! Frangi-pana! Indiana! Indiana! Hoo-ee!

Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Indiana! Indiana!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Indiana! Indiana!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Indiana! Indiana! Hoo-ee!

WABASH COLLEGE.

Yea! Wabash! Yea! Wabash!
W-A-B-A-S-H!
Wabash!

BUTLER COLLEGE.

B. U. Rah! B. U. Rah !
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
Butler! Rah !

LOMBARD COLLEGE.
L-O-M-B-A-R-D! Lombard!
Hal-a-ha-loo! Kanuck! Kanuck! Hal-a-ba-loo! Kanuck! Kanuck
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah ! Wah-hoo! Lombard !

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPL

Oxford. Rah! Oxford, Rah! 'Varsity! 'Varsity! Rah, rah, rah!
Oxford, Rah! Oxford, Rah! 'Varsity! 'Varsity! Rah, rah, rah!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Rah!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Rah! Mississippi!

PURDUE UNIVERSITY.

[i] Purdue! Purdue! Rah! Rah! Purdue! Purdue! Rah! Rah! Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
Bully for Old Purdue!

[2] Humpty Dumpty ! Humpty Du!
What's the matter with Old Purdue?
Rickety! Rickety! Rickety! Right!
Old Purdue is out of sight!

[3) Say What! That's what! What's what?
That's what they all say!
What do they all say?
Purdue!

IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.

Rah! Rah! Rah! Zip! Room! Bah!
Razoo! Razoo! Johny blow your bazoo.
Rip, zjddy! Iowa VYesleyan !

CENTRAL UNIVERSITY.

Razzle dazzle ! Razzle dazzle! Siss-boom-ah ! Central University! Rah ! Rah
! Rah!

TULANE UNIVERSITY

Rah! Rah! Rah! Zip! Boom! Ah!
Zip! Boom! Ah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Tulane!

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURL

Rah ! Rah! Rah! Rah !
Miz-zoo-rah! Rah, rah, rah!
Miz-zoo-rah! Rah! Miz-zoo-rah! Rah!
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah! Miz-roo-rah!
Tiger!

WILLIAMS COLLEGE.
Williams! Williams! Williams!
Rah, rah, rah ! Rah, rah. rah! Rah, rah, rah ! Williams!
Williams! Williams! Williams!

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.

U. of M.! Rah! Rah! U. of M.! Rah ! Rah !
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah! Michigan! Rah! Rah!

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA,
Rah! Rah! Rah! Ski-U-mah!
Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah!
'Varsity! 'Varsity! Minne-so-ta!

DEPAUW UNIVERSITY.

Zip! Rah! Who? D. P. U.!
Rip saw ! Boom-haw !
Bully for Old DePauw!

AMHERST COLLEGE.

Amherst! Amherst! Rah, rah! Amherst!
Rah, rah, rah! Rah, rah, rah ! Rah, rah, rah!
Amhcrst! Amherst! Amherst!

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY.
Sizzle sazzle ! Razzle dazzle !
Siss, boom, bah!
Washington ! Washington ! Washington !
Rah!

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.

U-U-U-XI-VER-VER-VERSITY!
N-E-BRAS-KI Oh My!

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.

Wah-hoo-wah! Wah-hoo-wah!
Da-da, Dartmouth ! Wah-hoo-wah!
Dartmouth ! Dartmouth ! Dartmouth!

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

C-O-L-U-M-B-I-A! (Increasing speed}
Ray! Ray! Ray! C-o-l-u-m-b-i-a!

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

[ i l Ray ! Ray! Ray, ray, ray, ray, ray!
Syracuse! Syracuse! Syracuse !

[2l S. U.! Rah ! Rah! S. U. Rah! Rah!
Syracuse !

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA,

Yackety yack! Rah! Rah! Yackety yack! Rah! Rah!
Carolina 'Varsity! Boom! Rah ! Boom! Rah!
Carolina! (l'ery fasl).

MIAMI UNIVERSITY.

Miami! Yip! Yip! Miami U.! Rah!
Boom-e-rang! Boom-e-rang!
Ho-han-ho! Eureka! Miami! Siss! Boom! Bah!
Miami 'Varsity! Rah ! Rah ! Rah !

OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.

O. W. U.! Rah! Rah ! O. W. U.! Rah ! Rah !
Hoo-rah ! Hoo-rah ! Wesleyan ! Rah! Rah '.

OHIO UNIVERSITY.

O. U.! O. U.! Rah, rah! Rah, rah !
O. U.! O. U.! Rah, rah! Rah, rah !
Hoo-rah ! Hoo-rah ! Bulley for Old O. U.!

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

Wahoo! Wahoo! Rip! Zip! Bazoo!
I yell, I yell O. S. U.

CASE SCHOOL OF APPLIED SCIENCE.

Hoo-rah! Ki-rah!
S-C-I-E-N-C-E
Hoi! Hoi! Rah! Rah! Case!

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATL

C-I-N C-I-N N-A-T-I!
Cincinnati! Cincinnati!

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO.

Toronto! Toronto! Toronto 'Varsity!
We shout and fight for the Blue and White

And the honor of U. of T.
Rippity, rappity! Rippity, rappity! See!
Toronto! Toronto! Toronto 'Varsity!

PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE.

Bracky corax, corix, coree! Bracky corax, corix, coree!
Heigh-ho! Umply ah! Hulla-baloo, bellee, hellah!
Gettysburg! Gettysburg! Gettysburg! Rah, rah! Rah, rah, rah!
Bing-bang ' S-s-s-s! Boom, boom !
Gettysburg! Gettysburg! Gettysburg!

ALLEGHENY COLLEGE.

Alle-ge-rue! Ge-rue! Ge-rue!
Wah-who. ba-zu ! Hi-ix, hi-ix!
Hica-pica, doma-nica! Hong-pong, tibi-tica!
Hallekah, ballakah, bah ! Alleghe! Alleghe! Rah! Rah! Rah!

PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE.

Siss! Boom! Ah! Cuckoo! Pennsylvania State!
Yell! Yell! Yell! Yell again !
We're from the Land of William Penn!
State! State! State! Wiskiwah-wah! Biskiwah-wah!
Holy moki-i! Pennsylvania! State!

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