Boy Howdy

Posted by R. Berg on August 31, 2001

In Reply to: Boy Howdy posted by ESC on August 31, 2001

: : : : Just wondering...does this sarcastic putdown derive from the Howdy Doody Show?

: : : I googled your phrase and I did not see it used as a putdown at all. It was used on an assortment of sites as an experssion of amazement as in "Wowee, boy howdy, what great chilli" or "boy howdy, what a great time we had at the Johnson cookout".

: : I just oogled your google and feel totally bamboozled. I came across it in a reference to a motorized snowboard, something like, "Boy howdy, I can't wait for *THAT* to hit the stores." Definitely sarcasm. Of course, the world is full of people who don't use or recognize sarcasm at all...

: It's all in the way you say it.

The sarcastic part of the snowboard statement is the latter part. "Golly gee, I can't wait . . ." would be sarcastic too, even though "golly gee" can be used "straight." What intro, then, is always sarcastic, never straight? Oh, I guess "la-de-da." Maybe "whoop-de-do."