Yahoo Serious

Posted by Lotg (OZ) on July 07, 2004

In Reply to: Yahoo posted by Yahoo Serious on July 07, 2004

: : : I've just learnt something - the origin of 'Yahoo'. I wonder if the web site owners know what sort of name they've chosen?! According to my recently acquired vintage (1942, 1947 and 1953 - ninth printing April 1956) 'The Amercan Thesaurus of Slang' the word was coined by Johnthan Swift in 'Gulliver's Travels' for a 'degraded being'. It entered common US useage in 1877 to mean any crude or uncouth person. This origin is supported by modern dictionaries. Welcome to Yahoo!!

: : I had heard that Yahoo was an invention of Swift. Yahoo is also used often to refer to rural types, particularly Southerners. (My apologies to the Southerners, I don't mean to offend).

: : I believe Swift is responsible for other words as well. Does anyone have (or know of) a list?

: A Yahoo was a person in Gulliver's Travels who sat in a tree and flung poop on travelers on the path below.

I believe the reason 'Yahoo Serious' (the actor or comedian or whatever you want to call him) so named himself is based on the definition James has provided. Even though Yahoo's comedy is to my mind facile (even by Aussie standards), the man himself is actually something of a genius.

• Yahoo Serious Shae 07/July/04
  • Yahoo Serious Henry 07/July/04
    • Yahoo and Swift Lewis 09/July/04