Etymology Journal ยท W
What a hoot!
Meaning
- This is used to describe a person or a situation that is extremely funny or entertaining. It suggests the speaker is laughing quite hard.
Lighthearted, cheerful
Used in a sentence
- Did you see him try to ride that bike? What a hoot!
- That comedy show last night was a real hoot.
- The way the cat plays with the yarn is a hoot.
The backstory
The term likely relates to the sound of laughing, suggesting a hoot of laughter. It became common in the early 20th century as a synonym for something amusing.
Heard in
Nationwide
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