Off the ol' hookeroo

[Jonathan Lighter]

The evidence in HDAS suggests that gossip columnist Walter Winchell
popularized the "-eroo" suffix around 1930-31.

"-Erino" was similarly used from the 1890s on. So "-eroo" presumably
originated as a variation, suggested (again presumably) by the fanciful
sound of "kangaroo" and "buckaroo."

My own usage sense is that the quality added by "-eroo" is  intended to be
one of cynical jocularity. The addition of "the old..." increases it.

I think the practice of generating items like "hookeroo" in this way is
pretty old-fashioned.

JL


On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 1:23 PM, Lisa Galvin <lisagal23 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Lisa Galvin <lisagal23 at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Off the ol' hookeroo
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> =20
> Yes=2C I understand the overall meaning of the specific example I gave=3B
>  =
> what I was trying to figure out was the whole "ol' --eroo" thing=2C like
> wh=
> ere that came from=2C or if anyone knows when/how it started.=20
>
> =20
>
> If someone asks you what is the difference between "off the hook" and "off
> =
> the ol' hookeroo"=2C what would you say?=20
>
>
>
>
>
>                                                  =20
>
>
>
> =20
>
> > Date: Wed=2C 28 Apr 2010 13:09:17 -0400
> > From: Berson at ATT.NET
> > Subject: Re: Off the ol' hookeroo
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >=20
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------=
> ------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject: Re: Off the ol' hookeroo
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> >=20
> > I suppose the meaning is clear: Out of a difficult situation=3B off the
> s=
> pot.
> >=20
> > Presumably from "off the hook" -- OED hook n.=2C sense 15.f. "off the
> > hook: out of a difficult situation." The opposite of "on the hook"
> > -- sense 2.b. "on the hook: in various fig. uses=2C e.g. ensnared=2C in
> > the power (of someone)=3B in one's grasp."
> >=20
> > If the question is "where does *hookeroo* come from?"=2C perhaps "hook"
> > plus the "factitious slang suffix" (OED) -eroo.
> >=20
> > Joel
> >=20
> > At 4/28/2010 12:29 PM=2C Lisa Galvin wrote:
> > >A friend of mine is a translator=2C and now and then she asks me
> > >questions about particularly troublesome (meaning difficult to look
> > >up=2C find online=2C etc.) English expressions she is faced with
> > >translating into Japanese. Usually I can come up with answers for
> > >her=2C along with some history and other examples=2C using my own
> > >knowledge and a little research=2C but trying to nail this one down
> > >got me stuck.
> > >
> > >This is a Peanuts comic where Lucy and Linus are having the
> > >following exchange:
> > >
> >
> >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
> =3D
> > >
> > >LUCY: How sould you like to see a list of things I want for Christmas?
> > >
> > >LINUS: Absolutely not!! I want my gift to you this year to be a
> complete=
>  and
> > >delightful surprise.
> > >
> > >LUCY: What a lovely generous thought...
> > >
> > >(and off she goes...)
> > >
> > >LINUS: Off the Ol' Hookeroo!!
> > >
> >
> >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
> =3D=3D
> > >
> > >
> > >Of course the <ol'> + <*eroo> construction is a way of
> > >colloqializing the expression "off the hook"=2C but does anyone know
> > >when that started or how to better define the construction and its
> > >nuance of meaning?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >It's a tough one to Google (this one kept getting me "did you mean=2C
> > >'old hooker'?" Uh=2C no=2C no I did not).
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >I know we have "The ol' switcheroo"=2C any other examples you can think
> =
> of?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Oh=2C and just for the record=2C she ended up translating this line as
> > >something like "Good=2C I'm safe for now".
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Lisa Galvin
> > >
> > >Seattle WA
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >------------------------------------------------------------
> > >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >=20
>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>                                          =
>
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