bal·ly·hoo

[n. bal-ee-hoo; v. bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo] noun, plural bal·ly·hoos, verb, bal·ly·hooed, bal·ly·hoo·ing.
noun
1.
a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity.
2.
clamor or outcry.
3.
a halfbeak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, inhabiting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
4.
to advertise or push by ballyhoo.

Origin:
1830–40, Americanism; of uncertain origin


1. buildup, hoopla, fanfare; hype.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To ballyhoo
00:10
Ballyhoo is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
ballyhoo (ˌbælɪˈhuː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a noisy, confused, or nonsensical situation or uproar
2.  sensational or blatant advertising or publicity
 
vb , -hoos, -hooing, -hooed
3.  chiefly (US) (tr) to advertise or publicize by sensational or blatant methods
 
[C19: of uncertain origin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ballyhoo
"publicity, hype," 1908, from circus slang, "a short sample of a sideshow" (1901), of unknown origin. There is a village of Ballyhooly in County Cork, Ireland. In nautical lingo, ballahou or ballahoo (1867, perhaps 1836) meant "an ungainly vessel," from Sp. balahu "schooner."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
You'll work faster and concentrate harder, they ballyhoo.
Its success seems directly tied to the degree in which automakers ballyhoo their winners.
Scientifically speaking, the prophecies are strictly ballyhoo.
Perez stated they used ballyhoo as bait and nylon thread, since they did not
  have any poles, and fished for six hours.
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