# (Whatever) palooza. Origins

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-palooza-origins/310561>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-palooza-origins/310561 "2005-06-30T18:23:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-palooza-origins/310561/1 "2005-06-30T18:23:20Z")

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This is one of those word origins that has always niggled me.

Did it start with the Lol-a-palooza concerts a decade or so ago, or is the history of Palooza farther back than that?

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-palooza-origins/310561/2 "2005-06-30T18:31:11Z")

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According to wiki:  
The name Lollapalooza means “something outstanding or unusual”; Farrell heard the word in a Three Stooges short film and liked the sound.

> **[Lollapalooza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollapalooza)**
>
> Lollapalooza /ˌlɒləpəˈluːzə/ (Lolla) is an annual four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. It started as a touring event in 1991. Music genres include but are not limited to alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and electronic music. Lollapalooza has also featured visual arts, nonprofit organizations, and political organizations. The festival in Chicago's Grant Park hosts an estimated 400,000 people each July and sells out annually. Lollapalooza is consider

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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:** [June 30, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-palooza-origins/310561/3 "2005-06-30T18:58:22Z")

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The OED dates the word “lallapaloosa” (there are several different spellings) to 1904.

> [@](#):
>
> 1904 ‘H. MCHUGH’ I’m from Missouri vi. 89 Saturday night we had our final parade with the fireworks finish, and it was a lallapalootza! 1909 F. B. CALHOUN Miss Minerva xxvi. 204 You sho’ is genoowine corn-fed, sterlin’ silver, all-wool-an’-a-yard-wide, pure-leaf, Green-River Lollapaloosas.

Etymology is listed as “fanciful formation.” Someone made up the word and it caught on (most likely not McHugh, above).