Merriam-Webster claims that the first known use of "woo-hoo" as an expression of exuberant delight or approval was in 1981. But Patrick Dennis used "woo hoo" nearly two decades earlier (see clipping), in his novel
Genius (1962). And we find a delighted welcoming whoop of "Woohoo!" in 1906's
The Silver Maple by Marian Keith. The March 1903 issue of
Current Literature mentions "an excited and exciting woohoo." Even earlier, in 1887, there's a skipper's exuberant "Woohoo!" upon finding the sea as soft as a pillow (in the nautical ballad "Difficult Navigation" in
Puck, August 6).
Daily Writing Tips claims that woo-hoo originated in computer gaming and "
is very recent and has no etymological basis," yet the Dictionary of the Chinese Language by Robert Morrison (1815) notes that "woo hoo" is an exclamation of admiration. ("Admiration" being synonymous with the "approval" noted by Merriam-Webster.)
We obviously offer zero woo-hoos for the disinformation out there about the origin and usage of "woo-hoo." The lesson, of course, is that when something sounds unbelievable, like "woo-hoo" being only as old as 1981, it shouldn't be believed unless further investgation confirms it. It took us less than five minutes to verify that "woo-hoo" is at the very least a century older than our authorities would admit.
