ohoint.
/ə(ʊ)ˈhəʊ/, U.S. /ˌoʊˈhoʊ/ Expressing surprise, mockery, exultation, etc. Also formerly used to attract attention. Cf. ho int.1
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or exclamation > [interjection] > other specific cries or exclamations
oeOE
heya1225
ouc1300
we13..
hac1320
how1377
how now?c1380
vaha1382
ha a!c1386
ha ha!c1386
hoa1400
ohoa1400
yowc1440
yoa1475
heh1475
hey ho?c1475
huffc1485
wemaya1500
whewa1500
wow1513
huffa?1520
gup?1528
ist1540
whow1542
hougha1556
whoo1570
good-now1578
ooh1602
phew1604
highday1606
huh1608
whoo-whoop1611
sessaa1616
tara1672
hegh1723
hip1735
waugha1766
whoofa1766
jee1786
goody1796
yaw1797
hech1808
whoo-ee1811
whizz1812
yah1812
soh1815
sirs1816
how1817
quep1822
soho1825
ow1834
ouch1838
pfui1838
suz1844
shoo1845
yoop1847
upsadaisy1862
houp-la1870
hooch1871
nu1892
ouff1898
upsy1903
oo-er1909
ooh-wee1910
eina1913
oops1921
whoopsie1923
whoops-a-daisy1925
hot-cha-cha1929
upsadaisy1929
walla1929
hotcha1931
hi-de-ho1936
po po po1936
ho-de-ho1941
oh, oh1944
oopsy1956
chingas1984
bambi2007
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) 12129 (MED) ‘O ho!’ alle þan gan þai cri, ‘Qua herd euer sua grett ferli!’
c1450 ( G. Chaucer Bk. Duchess (Fairf.) 179 This messager..cried, ‘O, how! a-wake anoon’.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1897–1973) 73 (MED) O, ho! this is a wonderfull thyng to wytt.
a1593 C. Marlowe Tragicall Hist. Faustus (1604) sig. B3 Wag. Sirra, I say in staues acre. Clo. Oho, oho, staues acre, why then belike, if I were your man, I should be ful of vermine.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. iv. 63 Oh ho, do you come neere me now. View more context for this quotation
a1681 J. Lacy Sr. Hercules Buffoon (1684) v. iii. 44 Oho! then it seems you are Sir Hercules Buffoon.
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. viii. vii. 194 ‘O ho! he is one of your Order, is he?’ replies the Landlady. View more context for this quotation
1778 F. Burney Let. 27 Aug. in Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1994) III. 114 O ho! this is a good hearing!
1838 C. Dickens Oliver Twist I. ii. 25 Oho!..we are the fellows to set this to rights.
1884 D. Boucicault Shaughraun ii. viii. 48 Oho! if that's Robert Ffolliott, I'd like to know who's this?
1933 E. O'Neill Ah, Wilderness! iii. i. 93 ‘Oho,’ they cried, ‘the world is wide, But fettered limbs go lame!’
1976 P. Dickinson King & Joker ii. 27 Oho. So something had happened.
2001 J. Boyle Galloway Street 190 Sometimes when I tell people my name they kid on they're dead feart and go, Oho, John Boyle eh? We better watch him.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
int.a1400