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ballyhoo - 3 dictionary results
bal⋅ly⋅hoo
[n. bal-ee-hoo; v. bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo] 
noun, plural -hoos, verb, -hooed, -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 uncert. orig.
1830–40, Americanism; of uncert. orig.
Synonyms:
1. buildup, hoopla, fanfare; hype.
1. buildup, hoopla, fanfare; hype.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To ballyhoo
| bal·ly·hoo (bāl'ē-hōō') n. pl. bal·ly·hoos
To advertise or publicize by sensational methods. [Origin unknown.] Word History: The origin of ballyhoo has been the subject of much speculation. This spelling has actually been used for four different words: ballyhoo, "sensational advertising"; ballyhoo, a spelling of balao, a kind of fish; ballyhoo, a part of the name ballyhoo bird, about which more later; and ballyhoo, a sailor's epithet for an unpopular ship. This last ballyhoo (first recorded in 1836) was thought to be related to, or the same as, the word ballahou, from Spanish balahú, "a type of schooner common in the Antilles." First recorded in 1867, ballahou, besides being a term for a specific kind of ship, was also used contemptuously of inferior ships. But the connection between these sailing terms or the name of the fish and our word ballyhoo, first recorded in 1901, has not been established. There may, however, be a tie between ballyhoo and the creature called a ballyhoo bird. According to a July 1880 article in Harper's, the bird had four wings and two heads and could whistle through one bill while singing through the other. Anyone who has ever been on a snipe hunt will know what hunting ballyhoo birds was like. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Language Translation for : ballyhoo
Spanish:
bombo, propaganda estrepitosa,
German:
der Rummel,
Japanese:
騒々しい宣伝
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