“There’s a sale at Men’s Warehouse? Woot woot!”
You all know you’ve done it. Something big happens, something worthy of celebration, and you double-punch your fist in the air and say “Yes! We got tickets to see the new Tom Cruise movie! Woot Woot!” or “Yes! I just bought a 3D Printer and can now print entire pizzas in my home office! Woot woot!”
Okay. Who am I kidding? There’s something satisfying about saying (or typing) “woot woot” during times of joy. Especially with doing the double-punch. Something safe and familiar about being just another corny woot wooter.
But where did this thing come from, and—actually, screw it, because no matter what the answer is, it shouldn’t have become a socially acceptable thing to say. The phrase is hella juvenile and meaningless. Almost as juvenile and meaningless as saying “hella,” even. You sound like a horse’s ass when you say it. I want you to know this.
You know what comes to my mind when I think of somebody saying “woot woot?” I see a skin-peely, overweight sea lion sitting on a rock amidst the breakers on some beach somewhere. This sea lion hears one of his friends back on shore go “woot woot,” and, because he’s a sea lion and doesn’t have the faculties to come up with a more clever response, he mindlessly echoes the last thing he heard: “woot woot!” Then, quite unexpectedly, he falls sideways off his rock into the jaws of a shark, which had tracked him to this very spot thanks to all the mindless “woot wooing.”
My thing is: why don’t people just say “Whoo!” or even “WhooHoo!” like they used to? Or even “Yahoo!”? Well, no, I guess maybe yahoo has been stripped of its original meaning by the search-engine of the same name. But last time I checked, Whoo! and Oh Yeah!!! are not yet publicly traded tech companies. Not that I know of. And though you’d sound just as idiotic saying these alternate phrases, at least you’re not adding superfluous T’s to the general whooing.
Because it’s all about the “T.” That’s the real problem. Frankly, it’s not natural. It doesn’t look natural and it doesn’t sound natural. And who’s the genius who decided to add the “T” anyway? I mean, why not “B?” Would not “Woob woob” work just as stupidly? And it comes earlier in the alphabet, so it’s more convenient.
But I say let’s get rid of the double-word thing in the first place. There are so many other things you could be saying. Next time something cool happens to you, something that makes you watch to pump your fist and shout something giddily, think about ditching the “woot woot” and going with these easy alternatives…
Less Lemming-like Alternatives to Woot Woot
- Sweet!
- Oh Yeah!!!
- Excelsior!
- Bossa nova
- Chevy Nova
- Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are wooting!
- Booyah!
- Bitchin!
- You jellin’? I’m jellin’
- Hurrah for Hollywoooood!
- Woog woog!
- I am become death
- (fart)
- Meesa going hoooommme!!!
- Joyyyyyy!
- Hip hip huzzahh!
- Victory to the Macleods!*
*my personal favorite
Okay, I guess I’m done. Just seriously—don’t be a woot wooter. Choose from my list, please. Or, better yet, come up with your own woot woot alternative and share it with me!
Okay, I’m finally done writing this ridiculous article! Woog woog!
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If you liked this article, check out Alternate Ways to Say “At The End of the Day”
If I’ve ever done the woot-woot thing, it most likely was a satirical gesture made to make fun of all the woot-wooters. But honestly, can anyone give a woot-woot with a straight face? That said, most of the other options seem equally as heinous. I think it’s just time honored traditions that make woot-woot seem more obnoxious than the others. But then again, did we really need a new one? Anyway, give it time and there will probably be something else twice as obnoxious and we’ll be missing the good old woot woot days.
Well, i’m not saying I believe there’s such a thing as serious woot wooting, per se. I agree it’s usually meant more in good silly fun. Though sometimes I think it falls into the category of “practically serious”, where the woot wooter thinks he or she is being silly on purpose, but has actually quietly become the very thing he or she meant to ridicule. And yes, I just used the nonsensical name of my blog in a real, somewhat coherent sentence. I didn’t know that was possible until now. Woot woot!
Philosophizing about woot-wooting, I didn’t know that was possible until now!
I just applied for a trademark for “Whoo!” and “Oh Yeah!!!” Woot woot! (Actually, I prefer “woohoo!” “Booyah” and “Oh snap” are favs of mine as well, but they serve slightly different purposes.)
I forgot about Oh Snap! Not necessarily a “celebratory” phrase, but totally usable as one nonetheless. As in: “There’s gonna be a new Star Wars movie NOT directed by George Lucas? Oh snap!”
I’d totally use the search engine “Oh Yeah!!!” The television commercials could include Macho Man Randy Savage’s classic Slim Jim delivery as part of the catchy jingle. Way cooler than Yahoo’s yodeler.
Woot-woot! I found so many alternatives to “woot-woot”! :
haha. My blog was useful to someone! Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling!!!
Look in your spam folder, there are probably hundreds of people in there who find your blog one of the most useful of the entire Internet (but still think you could benefit from some SEO tips and knock-off bags). 🙂
very true! I forgot about how “usefull” and “insiteful” my work has been to them over the years…
I am proud to a announce that I have never wooted.
I do agree that it sounds so so stupid. But how is woog woog any different?
well at least there’s no T. The T is the real enemy here, I think.
Okay 🙂
I found this by searching “What kind of an idiot says ‘woot’.” This popped up and it is by far the funniest thing I have read in months. Still can’t stop laughing.
Thanks Anita! Woot!
I totally embrace Woot! WOOT! And Oh Snap is hella old! 😉
Oh man, I forgot about Oh Snap. That’s an oldie for sure!
I found this awesome article because I googled, “I hate when people say/type woot”
Thanks for stopping by! You’re definitely not alone!