ta ta
See also: Appendix:Variations of "tata"
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editProbably hypocoristic, circa 1823.
Pronunciation
edit- IPA(key): /tɑːtɑː/, /tətɑː/, /təˈtɑː/
Audio (General Australian): (file) - Rhymes: -ɑː
Interjection
edit- (chiefly Commonwealth, UK, Ireland, informal, colloquial) Goodbye.
- 1917, Henry Handel Richardson, Australia Felix, The Echo Library, published 2007, page 229:
- “ […] Well, ta-ta, sweetheart! Don′t expect me back to lunch.”
- 1923 (recorded 1900), Ed Smith (Cranbrook Courier), Reminiscences of Kootenay Pioneers, recalling an event claimed to be the origin of the place name Ta Ta Creek; viewed in British Columbia archives),
- Red put the spurs to his horse and galloped away: “Ta ta, friends, I′ve business up the trail.”
- 1967, Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock[1], page 55:
- ‘No more questions? Then I′ll be off. Ta-ta.’
Usage notes
editDated and rarely used in the United States, sometimes used in Canada. Although likely to be understood, it is likely to be considered rather humorous, particularly if used in a parody of British English and Irish English speakers. The word is very commonly used in India and Myanmar (Burma).
Synonyms
edit- (goodbye): bye, goodbye, hooroo (Australian); see also Thesaurus:goodbye
Descendants
editTranslations
editbye — see bye
See also
editFurther reading
edit- “ta ta”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
editCategories:
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɑː
- Rhymes:English/ɑː/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English interjections
- English multiword terms
- Commonwealth English
- British English
- Irish English
- English informal terms
- English colloquialisms
- English terms with quotations
- English reduplicated coordinated pairs
- English farewells