Toodle-oo

Posted by Jim Adams on March 04, 2001

In Reply to: Toodle-oo posted by marcus on December 23, 2000

: : : Toodleloo or toodles is used as a way of saying good-bye and it was suggested that the origin might be.. I'm off "to the loo".

: : : Does anyone know?

: : It's a British thing. Here's what it says in The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang by John Ayto and John Simpson (Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York, 1996):
: : TOODLE-OO int. Also tootle-oo. Brit. Dated. Goodbye. Also toodle-, tootle-pip. 1907- Standard. Toodlepip to the poor British Exec . Origin unknown; perhaps from 'toot' noun, short blast on a horn.

:
: : Ioi need ta spenduh penny...

IT MAY BE OF GREEK ORIGEN; INCREDIBLY, A GREEK FRIEND OF MINE (AND I) WERE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT AND WE ARE BOTH CHECKING ON IT. US AMATEUR LEXICOGRAPHERS ARE A BIT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE OXFORD DIC. OF SLANG LETTING US DOWN ON THIS ONE; I CHECKED THE 1896 EDITION AND IT DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EITHER. WILL POST WHEN WE FIND IT....... toodle-oo :)