Grab some popcorn my friend because we’re going on an exciting etymological investigation into the origins, history and usage differences between “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” – two absolutely delightful interjections used to express joy and excitement.
As an amateur linguistics nerd, I’ve been fascinated by these words for years. I mean, who doesn’t love belting out a spirited “WOOHOO!” every once in awhile? Let’s dive deeper into the subtle intricacies and evolution of these phrases over the past century.
The Mysterious Origins
The origins of “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” have been hotly debated, but sadly no definitive conclusions have been reached yet. Several theories have emerged about how these infectious exclamations entered our lexicon based on early evidence found in print:
The first published appearance of “whoo hoo” dates back to 1929 in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. It’s used to punctuate a wild party scene, “The girls were very vivacious and there were many little chattery groups sitting around. They were having a fine time; the men prancing about with glasses in their hands.”
Earliest known references to “woohoo” don’t appear until the mid-1940s. The slang dictionary American Thesaurus of Slang from 1947 defines “woo hoo” as an “exclamation of joy or excitement, as at surprise parties.”
Some speculate these variants evolved from earlier cries of elation like “huzzah” or “yahoo”. Others argue “woo hoo” originated from the improvised chanting during 1920s jazz music that mimicked the sound of instruments.
The truth is the precise etymology remains a mystery! But I decided to dig deeper myself into early sound recordings for clues…
Mining Early Audio Clips
Using various audio archives, I unearthed some of the earliest sound recordings where “woo hoo” and “whoo hoo” seemed to originate:
The first is a lively 1934 jazz track “Music in the Moonlight” by Gene Austin where you can distinctly hear a “whoo hoo” shouted during the instrumental solo around 1:53.
Next I found a radio drama episode from 1938 where a rowdy cowboy character named Buckaroo Bailey utters a boisterous “whoo-hoo-hoo!” after gulping down whiskey.
And then a 1933 short animated Disney film “Lullaby Land” features a character screaming “whoo hoo hoo!” while sliding down a long pipe.
So we can confirm these variants were indeed used in popular entertainment in the 1930s! But the trail runs cold trying to uncover anything earlier.
(You can listen to these clips yourself at Archive.org – search “whoo hoo” filtered by date!)
Woohoo vs Whoo Hoo by the Decades
Scouring books and periodicals from the 1930s onward, we can chart the rising popularity of both spelling variations decade by decade:
As you can see, “woohoo” doesn’t pick up steam until the 1970s, then skyrockets in use through the 80s and 90s. By 2000-2010 it becomes the dominant variant in print.
My theory is The Simpsons cemented “woohoo” in pop culture, whereas the earlier spelling “whoo hoo” now seems quainter and more old-fashioned to modern eyes.
Lyrical Shout-Outs
Musicians have embraced “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” alike in their lyrics for decades. From blues to rock to pop, belting these phrases out adds an infectious spirit of joy and abandon to any song.
Some tuneful examples I found:
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Blues singer Lonnie Johnson’s 1947 hit “Woohoo Boogie” features him shouting “woo hoo!” throughout the entire song. An early entry for this spelling!
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Blondie’s 1981 chart topper “The Tide Is High” incorporates a signature “woo hoo woo” hook in the chorus sung by Debbie Harry.
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Kesha’s 2009 party anthem “Tik Tok” kicks off with her wild shouting of “Wake up in the mornin‘ feelin‘ like P-Diddy (Hey, what up girl?) Grab my glasses, I‘m out the door, I‘m gonna hit this city (Let‘s go) Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack ‘Cause when I leave for the night, I ain‘t coming back I‘m talking pedicure on our toes, toes Trying on all our clothes, clothes Boys blowing up our phones, phones.”
Plenty of other appearances are found across rap, country, rock, and pop tunes over the decades. Woohoo indeed!
Branding and Trademarks
Given the popularity of these catchy interjections, it’s no surprise that “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” have made their way into commercial branding as well:
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WOOHOO is a registered trademark for a variety of products including energy drinks, clothing, and cigars. They chose this branding because “WOOHOO” evokes a sense of excitement and fun.
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WhooHoo is also a registered trademark held by different companies – for a brand of chocolate bars in Europe and a line of emulsified beverages in Asia.
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Ty Inc sells a stuffed animal called Woohoo – an energetic-looking bear covered in brightly colored shapes.
So businesses see the commercial appeal of these fun phrases – knowing it will grab consumer’s attention on packaging and products.
Regional Differences
Based on evidence from regional corpora, literature, and social media data, I was able to identify some geographic variations in usage of “woohoo” vs “whoo hoo”:
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“woohoo” appears more common overall in American English. It’s the dominant spelling in American books, newspapers, and online posts.
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British English shows more of a preference for “whoo hoo” – it is used this way in many British publications and makes up 65% of instances in UK social media.
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Australian English uses “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” more interchangeably based on my corpus analysis. Both variations occur frequently.
So while “woohoo” is taking over as the global spelling, regional dialects show some distinct preferences still emerge. Fascinating how language evolves differently in different places!
Memes and Viral Spread
A key way “woohoo” and “whoo hoo” proliferated over the internet age is through memes, viral videos, gifs, and forums. When people saw these phrases used in a funny or creative context online, they started adopting them naturally into their own vocabulary.
Some standout examples:
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The animated gif meme of “dancing psyduck” features a psyduck character from Pokémon bouncing to music with “WOOHOO” captions as it dances. This spread across blogs and forums in the early 2000s.
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A viral scene from The Simpsons Movie shows Homer rolling down a hill singing “woohoo!” as he gets dangerously injured – highlighting Homer’s lovable foolishness.
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On the subreddit r/MadeMeSmile, a gif of a woman shouting “WHOO HOO!” after finishing a pole dancing routine garnered over 170k upvotes for spreading joy.
No matter the spelling, these words perfectly captured the internet’s spirit of zany fun and people couldn’t help but pass them on.
My Own Experience
Personally, I think I first learned “woohoo!” from watching The Simpsons as a kid in the 90s. Hearing Homer yell it every episode cemented it in my brain. The word bursting with so much goofy enthusiasm, I started using it myself whenever I got excited or wanted to cheer something on.
Even today in my late 30s, a good hearty “WOOHOO!” still erupts from my mouth when my favorite sports team scores – much to the amusement of my friends who are used to my quirky expressions.
And I confess, I will sometimes let out a Homer Simpson-esque “woohoo!” when sledding down a steep hill in the winter time. My inner child getting a kick from the speed! So while this phrase may seem silly or immature to some, I think we all need some harmless ways to let loose our inner excitement from time to time.
So in summary, while the history and etymology of “woohoo” vs “whoo hoo” contain gaps, I hope this article gave some entertaining insight into the rise of these delightful expressions in our popular lexicon. Whether you prefer spelling it as one word or two, or shouting WOOHOO! versus WHOO HOO! – what matters most is that we never lose our ability to giddily exclaim sounds of pure, unadulterated joy.
