English

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

Perhaps from Yiddish הו־האַ (hu-ha, a hullabaloo).

The second sense is likely expressive; compare such similar terms in other languages as Spanish juju.

(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

edit
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈhuːˌhɑː/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

edit

hoo-ha (plural hoo-has)

  1. A fuss, uproar, commotion or stir; hype; brouhaha, hullabaloo.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:commotion
    There was a big hoo-ha about it in the papers, and then the world completely forgot the matter.
    • 2023 February 20, Vanessa Friedman, “Don Lemon, Nikki Haley and the Lessons of a Hoodie”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
      Tucker Carlson (also a jacket and tie guy) picked up on the hoo-ha on his Fox News show, calling the hoodie-jacket combination a “cry for help” and inviting Roger Stone, the disgraced former political operative and author of his own “Best and Worst dressed List,” to comment.
  2. (slang, euphemistic) Vagina, vulva.
    • 2009, Linda Howard, Burn, page 242:
      Did that make her a good judge of character, or a fool who was letting her hoo-ha do her thinking for her?
    • 2009, Lexi Ryan, Stilettos, Inc., page 163:
      She didn't want to lose their childish battle of wills, but neither did she want some parasite swimming up her hoo-ha.
    • 2010, Dee Tenorio, All Or Nothing, page 54:
      His mother later expressed disappointment that she'd been wrong, but by then, Belinda had a butterfly on her hoo-ha.
    • 2024 April 13, Tara Davis-Woodhall, quotee, “‘My hoo haa is gonna be out’: US Olympians slam Nike for skimpy women’s track kit”, in The Guardian[2], →ISSN:
      Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American who placed sixth in the long jump at the Tokyo Games and took silver at last year’s world championships, reacted with equal parts humor and horror, commenting: “Wait my hoo haa is gonna be out.”

Translations

edit

See also

edit

Anagrams

edit