# Origin of Hip Hip Hooray?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782 "2005-10-11T17:54:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782/1 "2005-10-11T17:54:37Z")

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Is anything about when, where, or how the phrase “hip hip hooray” started?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782/2 "2005-10-11T18:59:45Z")

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According to the OED, “Hooray” is a variation of “Hurrah” (ca. 1716) which is a variation of “Huzza” (from 1682). “Hip” dates from 1762, but was begun to be used as a cheer in 1827.

The OED gives first cite for “hip hip hooray” from 1849; prior to that, “hip hip hip” was used.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782/3 "2005-10-11T19:05:44Z")

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I just have to laff. The intelligent ad engine we now have, courtesy of Google, has ads below this thread for[ul][li]Hip surgery,[_]Joint pain, and [_]Health quotes.[/ul] :rolleyes:[/li]  
Hip, hip, hooray!

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782/4 "2005-10-11T19:09:22Z")

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[Take Our Word For It](http://takeourword.com/index.html) says,

> [@](#):
>
> [T]here’s no evidence as to where _hep/hip_ in this sense came from, either, though it is first recorded in English in 1818. We do know that _hurrah_ probably derives from _huzzah_, which, in the 17th century, was described as a sailors’ cheer. One source suggests that _huzzah_ changed to _hurrah_ by influence of foreign cries, such as _hurrah_ being a battle cry of Prussian soldiers in the War of Liberation (1812-1813).

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-hip-hip-hooray/325782/5 "2005-10-11T19:33:24Z")

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Naughty By Nature, 1993.