- Whats the origin of saying yoo hoo! to get someones attention?
The Oxford English Dictionary dates yoo-hoo to 1924, as noted by the American Dialect Society, and compares it to yo-ho, originally a nautical phrase also sometimes used in yo-heave-ho Their first documented use of yo-ho is from 1769 in William Falconer's An universal dictionary of the marine: Hola-ho, a cry which answers to yoe-hoe Yo-ho derives from two interjections Yo: an exclamation of
- pronunciation - When to pronounce long u as yoo or ooo - English . . .
It usually says yoo when it follows an unvoiced consonant (b, d, p, c, f, h, t) As languages evolve both in pronunciation and dialect, this 'rule' is weakened somewhat, however it does still hold true in the majority of cases
- Is it “P. U. ” or “pew” (regarding stinky things)? [closed]
It’s an interjection, and like many other interjections, it’s spelt in dozens of different ways P U is not one I’ve seen before, and I doubt I’d recognise it; and pew has the disadvantage of being a word with a very different meaning But pyewww, pyuuuuuww, pyeouwwgh and many other varieties are easily recognisable I’m not aware of any particularly established way of spelling it
- Why does the pronunciation of U vary in English?
U is "oo" for nearly all American, and a substantial number of British English speakers in most words when it falls in a stressed syllable after one of the following consonants: l s z U is "oo" for most American speakers, but "yoo" for most British speakers when it falls in a stressed syllable after one of the following consonants: t d
- What is the origin of the term toots to refer to a woman?
OED says Toots is probably from the earlier "meaningless alliteration" Tootsy-wootsy used as a term of endearment (or just to refer to a woman or sweetheart in general)
- may you or can you? - English Language Usage Stack Exchange
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- meaning - Both of you vs. the both of you - English Language . . .
When we refer to two people, which is right — "both of you" or "the both of you"? Are both the same or is there any difference between them?
- What is the origin history of you do you (or do you)?
Earliest quotable reference that I know first hand comes from a song by Giant Robot and Hosni from 2004, here is the quote: "let's just say I do me, you do you, the difference is I know just what to do" - a certain degree of irony that can be detected here indicates that the phrase must have existed for some time already prior to 2004
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