# Listen up- there is no such word as "Walaa"! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 28, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516 "2004-04-28T17:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SnakeSpirit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snakespirit/32/7271_2.png) [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/41 "2004-04-30T02:27:33Z")
> [@dantheman](#): > > I seem to remember a Bugs Bunny cartoon in which he did a magic trick and used those generic magic words… “Hocus-pocus, abracadabra, wallaa! The trick is done!” > > So I blame Bugs. With teeth like Bugs has the ‘v’ and ‘w’ sounds are easily mixed up. Try it, stick your two fingers between your teeth and upper lip and try to say ‘Voilà’ - the ‘v’ gets muted, and it comes out closer to a hum with waalaa. In the interest of social sciences… And in the interest of rabbits with disabilities (rwd) everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/42 "2004-04-30T05:39:55Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > I think it is more common (at least in my region) to say something like “boohoo” bucks, about which word’s etymology I had pondered… thanks for clearing it up. Boohoo is further derived from boocoo. And the people who use it have no idea what they are saying, I imagine. It is not done ironically, but just they heard it somewhere and repeat it. Aren’t **skutir** and the OP basically describing one of the ways a language, English in particular, evolves? So many of our words are borrowed from or have roots in other languages. It gives us a lot of ways to express ourselves. I guess I don’t see this as a bad thing. and, as I often say at the end of a conversation; eh wah la ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/43 "2004-04-30T14:06:08Z")
Fine. Say “boo-coo” if you want to then. In the five years or so that I took French in high school and college, I was always taught that it was more like “bow-coo,” (which, btw, is how my American Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says to pronounce it, too) From now on I’m just going to pronounce it like a real American should and say “boo-coop.” ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/44 "2004-04-30T16:15:18Z")
> [@Snakespirit](#): > > With teeth like Bugs has the ‘v’ and ‘w’ sounds are easily mixed up. > Try it, stick your two fingers between your teeth and upper lip and try to say ‘Voilà’ - the ‘v’ gets muted, and it comes out closer to a hum with waalaa. > > In the interest of social sciences… > And in the interest of rabbits with disabilities (rwd) everywhere. Are you trying to tell me he was really saying “voila”?? Can’t agree with that. Part of his personality was mispronouncing words. Example: Maroon instead of moron. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/45 "2004-04-30T16:59:32Z")
**yellowval** : > [@](#): > > I was always taught that it was more like “bow-coo” But would “bow-coo” be pronounced as “bough coo”, or as “beau coo”? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516/46 "2004-04-30T21:24:11Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > **yellowval** : > > But would “bow-coo” be pronounced as “bough coo”, or as “beau coo”? It would be pronounced as “beaucoup”. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/listen-up-there-is-no-such-word-as-walaa/242516.md?page=2)