Some co-workers from the Czech Republic asked me last night about the origin of the catch phrase or interjection boo-ya(h): its meaning and origins. Some thought it was a sports term, and others a military one. Meanings ranged from in your face to an ecstatically positive assessment of the situation. I've mainly noticed its use in the media and rarely in the wild. What think you fellow Wordcrafters?
I've always thought it to be an exclamation of pleasure. James Cramer apparently used it on his Mad Money's Mad Mail segment of his Mad Mailprogram (which I've never seen), and his use there means "Are you ready to make money?" It was used in "White Man Can't Jump" in 1992, and though I've seen the movie, I can't remember it. That's about all I could find, Zmj.
Yes, quite vaguely. It seems to be used in sports, as you can see from this link. My son had mentioned that it is used on ESPN, and in the link it says that Stuart Scott punctuates his broadcasts with it and has for several years. It has been in KFC's and MacDonalds' ads, it has been in songs and stitched on hats and shirts.
This site says the word was popularized by "gun-toting gangbangers." In gang lexicon, this site says, 'boo-yeah' has 2 meanings: 1) the sound of a shotgun being fired; and 2) totally dope or extremely fine. That makes me reconsider whether I will ever use it.
Boo-Yaa apparently came from the name of a gangsta rap band, the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., from Los Angeles. They performed in Japan as a rapping and dancing group called the Blue City Crew. They returned to L.A. in 1988, changing their name to Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
Booyah, with various spellings, is also a type of stew brought to Wisconsin by Belgian immigrants. It originated in Poland, or perhaps Finland, maybe Czechoslovakia. Wikipedia also has an article on it.
Booya was a three-masted schooner that sunk when Cyclone Tracy visited Darwin Harbor in 1974.
TinmanThis message has been edited. Last edited by: tinman,
