# What the heck is "Pip Pip" as in "Pip Pip Cheerio" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707 "2002-12-24T12:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/1 "2002-12-24T12:56:54Z")
and do any English people really say this? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![SmileyDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@SmileyDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmileyDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/2 "2002-12-24T12:58:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*and do any English people really say this? > > Just wondering. \*\* Jolly good wot? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/3 "2002-12-24T14:03:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > and do any English people really say this? Only if they are trying to be pretentious… Grim ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/4 "2002-12-24T16:41:27Z")
In an \*episode of the old-timey TV show “McHale’s Navy,” Tim Conway is impersonating a \*\*British general, while some other visiting British officers are around. He does the whole “Pip, Pip, Cheerio” shtick. Later, as the other British officers are leaving, they confide to him, “We knew you weren’t the real [General whose name I don’t recall] because the only place you hear Brits talking like that is in Gilbert & Sullivan.” \*“The Big Impersonation” or “The Great Impersonation” \*\*Someone had previously noticed the resemblance that Ensign Parker (Conway) had to the general. Don’t remember _why_ he was impersonating him. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/5 "2002-12-24T22:18:34Z")
When I drove Shuttle vans on Maui, British passengers would hand me my tip and say “Cheers!” then look to me as if I should respond. ??? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/6 "2002-12-24T23:04:50Z")
It’s about as common as \ Hoi Hoi!\ ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/7 "2002-12-25T01:20:04Z")
I say, old chap! Nip down to the chemists for me, would you, and pick me up a packet of crisps, as I’m feeling a mite peckish! ---
**Author:** ![Kipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kipper)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/8 "2002-12-25T03:11:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Roadwalker \* > \*\*When I drove Shuttle vans on Maui, British passengers would hand me my tip and say “Cheers!” then look to me as if I should respond. > ??? \*\* They are saying thank you and expecting you to say “Hey my pleasure” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/9 "2002-12-25T05:26:54Z")
“Cheerio” means goodbye, or see you later, or have a nice day. That kind of well-wishing as you leave. Still used by some today, though it’s sort of antiquated. I’ve never heard anyone say “pip pip” though. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-pip-pip-as-in-pip-pip-cheerio/144707/10 "2002-12-25T05:31:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Roadwalker \* > \*\*When I drove Shuttle vans on Maui, British passengers would hand me my tip and say “Cheers!” then look to me as if I should respond. > ??? \*\* “Aloha.” Duh. Or confuse them: “Auf Wiedersehen!”