# What is a woo woo? (Pit thread reference)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-woo-woo-pit-thread-reference/246647>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-woo-woo-pit-thread-reference/246647 "2004-05-23T13:50:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-woo-woo-pit-thread-reference/246647/1 "2004-05-23T13:50:47Z")

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[The thread. Add your two gripes.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=255864)

Now, the thread’s title is “Woo woo arguments that piss you off”. The OP rants about how woo woos make illogical arguments relative to science, religion, and philosophy, but it isn’t apparent what, exactly, a woo woo is, or how a woo woo is different from an illogical person.

Subsequent posters don’t elucidate on what a woo woo is, either.

So, since I can’t grasp all of the subtleties of being a woo woo from context alone, and since I want to understand where the term comes from, I ask here in GQ: What is a woo woo?

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**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-woo-woo-pit-thread-reference/246647/2 "2004-05-23T13:57:44Z")

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You did not read all of it, did you?

\*\*Woo-Woo arguement a.k.a. Handwaving argument

Basically, wave your hands enough, make enough noises with your mouth that sound impressive, and that’s the bulk of your argument right there.  
\*\*

From that thread, posted by **Nightsong.**

And, from that same thread, the “Woo Woo Credo”  
[here](http://www.watchingyou.com/woowoo.html)

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-woo-woo-pit-thread-reference/246647/3 "2004-05-23T14:03:19Z")

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Thank you.

And no, I didn’t read all of it. It’s a rather large multi-page thread and my curiosity got the better of me first.