# What exactly is a "whoosh"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [November 5, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315 "2007-11-05T18:00:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/1 "2007-11-05T18:00:39Z")
I’ve seen this term used a few times with reference to the SDMB but can’t work out what it means. Anyone care to enlighten me?
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### Author:  [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/2 "2007-11-05T18:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus]
I’ve seen this term used a few times with reference to the SDMB but can’t work out what it means. Anyone care to enlighten me?
[/QUOTE]
I’d tell you, but it’s above your head.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/3 "2007-11-05T18:03:48Z")
Scroll down in the [glossary of terms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298) in About This Message Board.
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/4 "2007-11-05T18:04:12Z")
Basically, it’s an inside joke that you don’t get. Like if I were to say something dumb like:
1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Hi Opal!
Then you say, " Hey, 3 should be Earth!"
Then I say " Whoosh!"
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### Author:  [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/5 "2007-11-05T18:15:07Z")
Great, thanks guys.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/6 "2007-11-05T18:22:36Z")
[QUOTE=brewha]
Basically, it’s an inside joke that you don’t get.
[/QUOTE]
It doesn’t have to be an inside joke, just any joke/sarcasm/parody/etc that you failed to understand (and I would say that usually it appears in a more straightforward context, rather than an inside joke).
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/7 "2007-11-05T18:29:36Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
It doesn’t have to be an inside joke, just any joke/sarcasm/parody/etc that you failed to understand (and I would say that usually it appears in a more straightforward context, rather than an inside joke).
[/QUOTE]
As a matter of fact, it only appeared as an inside joke once.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/8 "2007-11-05T18:37:20Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic]
As a matter of fact, it only appeared as an inside joke once.
[/QUOTE]
OK. I get the feeling that I’m getting whooshed now. Was **brewha** ’s post one giant metawhoosh?
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/9 "2007-11-05T19:01:43Z")
Whooshes are becoming endangered, though, because it’s increasingly difficult to sarcastically say something outrageous and not have been long-ago beaten by someone who said virtually the same thing, but was perfectly serious.
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### Author:  [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/10 "2007-11-05T19:05:53Z")
i always imagined _‘whooosh’_ as something that you didn’t _get_. if you don’t get it, it goes flying over your head.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/11 "2007-11-05T19:09:22Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Whooshes are becoming endangered, though, because it’s increasingly difficult to sarcastically say something outrageous and not have been long-ago beaten by someone who said virtually the same thing, but was perfectly serious.
[/QUOTE]
Not to mention, there is a whole contingent of Dopers who seem not even to understand sarcasm. I admit to having been whooshed once in a while, and even in public, but most of the time if I am unsure I try and keep my damn mouth shut until I am sure! Mainly because I was whooshed once really badly.
But there have been threads recently where the whooshing was blindingly obvious and still someone comes along and gets all in a huff.
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### Author:  [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/12 "2007-11-05T19:15:02Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
OK. I get the feeling that I’m getting whooshed now. Was **brewha** ’s post one giant metawhoosh?
[/QUOTE]
I was close - real close to coming in after you elaborated on my definition with a giant:
WHOOOOOOSH!
But I refrained. I don’t want the OP to think I am that clever.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/13 "2007-11-05T19:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
OK. I get the feeling that I’m getting whooshed now. Was **brewha** ’s post one giant metawhoosh?
[/QUOTE]
I’m guessing it was another inside joke. The Marianas Trench one.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/14 "2007-11-05T19:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron]
I’m guessing it was another inside joke. The Marianas Trench one.
[/QUOTE]
Too deep for me, man.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/15 "2007-11-05T19:39:25Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
Too deep for me, man.
[/QUOTE]
Maybe you need a depth raise.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/16 "2007-11-05T19:53:18Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Maybe you need a depth raise.
[/QUOTE]
Owie!
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### Author:  [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/17 "2007-11-05T20:06:24Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
Maybe you need a depth raise.
[/QUOTE]
clap
clap
clap
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/18 "2007-11-06T02:53:35Z")
The best explanation can be found [here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOU8GIRUd_g)
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/19 "2007-11-06T03:03:08Z")
I like ‘trapeze act’.
It’s over your head.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-a-whoosh/425315/20 "2007-11-06T13:56:51Z")
Moved from General Questions to About This Message Board. Or am I missing something?
**Gfactor**
General Questions Moderator
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