yo-ho-ho

See also: yo ho ho

English

WOTD – 19 September 2019

Etymology

The term was popularized by a (fictional) pirate shanty in the novel Treasure Island (1883) by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) – see the quotation – but appears in earlier songs of sailors. The term is possibly a variant of yo-he-ho, apparently a short form of yo-heave-ho (“a repetitive call made to synchronize workers performing some collective physical labour, such as hauling on a rope”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈjəʊhəʊhəʊ/, /jəʊhəʊˈhəʊ/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈjoʊhoʊhoʊ/, /ˌjoʊˌhoʊˈhoʊ/
• Rhymes: -əʊ

Interjection

yo-ho-ho

1. A cry associated with pirates and seafaring, originally a repetitive chant intended to synchronize workers performing some collective physical labour, such as hauling on a rope.
   • [1852, William B[atchelder] Bradbury, “The Fisherman”, in The Alpine Glee Singer: A Complete Collection of Secular and Social Music, […], New York, N.Y.: Newman & Ivison, […], →OCLC, page 66:

     How happy, my comrades, how happy are we, / While drawing fish from the dark rolling sea, / While drawing fish from the dark rolling sea. / Yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, ho, ho!]

   • [1876, W. O. Perkins, “Sailor’s Chorus”, in The Male Voice Glee Book, for Colleges, Men’s Vocal Clubs, and the Social Circle; […], Boston, Mass.: Oliver Ditson & Company, […], →OCLC, page 52:

     We're rolling along, rolling along, / As over the sea we go, / As over the sea we go, / And our anchor we heave, while we're singing our song. / Sing yo! ho! cheery men, ho! / Sing yo! cheery men, ho!]

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Ebb-tide Runs”, in Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part V (My Sea Adventure), page 188:

     The endless ballad had come to an end at last, and the whole diminished company about the camp fire had broken into the chorus I had heard so often:— / "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! / Drink and the devil had done for the rest— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"

   • 1914, Werner Mathews, “Sailor’s Song. (Invitation to the Sea).”, in Adolescence: Being Selections from Occasional Poems and Meditations Illustrating that of the Author, Cambridge: At the press of the Cambridge Review; Fabb & Tyler, Limited, →OCLC, page 45:

     Where the Ships sail down / To the Western Sun / Alone in the Ocean Blue, / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho! / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho!

   • 2004, Jackie French, “My Mum the Pirate”, in One Big Wacky Family, Sydney, N.S.W.: Angus & Robertson, →ISBN:

     'With a yo ho ho and we'll raise the flag, / We've lots of cake in a paper bag. / We've six watermelons and pizza too. / It's a pirate's life for me and you!' / The sound of singing—well, something like singing, anyway—floated up from the creek.

   • 2016, Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain, edited by Catherine Coe, Yo Ho Ho! (Rising Stars Reading Planet), London: Rising Stars UK, Hodder Education Group, →ISBN, page 13:

     When Asha threw the hair clip, the pirates jumped like flying fish to grab it. Pirate Joe leaped the highest and caught it. "Yo ho ho! It's mine!" he said.

Synonyms

• yoho (rare)

Related terms

• yo-he-ho
• yo-heave-ho

Translations

cry associated with pirates and seafaring

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 喲呵呵／哟呵呵 (yō hē hē)

• Norwegian: hiv o’hoi

See also

• Thesaurus:pirate

Further reading

• Dead Man's Chest on Wikipedia.Wikipedia