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gung ho
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[guhng-hoh] 
Informal.–adjective
| 1. | wholeheartedly enthusiastic and loyal; eager; zealous: a gung-ho military outfit. |
–adverb
| 2. | in a successful manner: The business is going gung-ho. |
Origin:
introduced as a training slogan in 1942 by U.S. Marine officer Evans F. Carlson (1896–1947) < Chin gōng hé, the abbreviated name of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society, taken by a literal trans. as “work together”
introduced as a training slogan in 1942 by U.S. Marine officer Evans F. Carlson (1896–1947) < Chin gōng hé, the abbreviated name of the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society, taken by a literal trans. as “work together”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Link To gung ho
| gung ho or gung-ho (gŭng'hō') adj. Slang Extremely enthusiastic and dedicated. [Earlier Gung Ho, motto of certain U.S. Marine forces in Asia during World War II, from Chinese (Mandarin) gōnghé, to work together (short for gōngyèhézuòshè, Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society) : gōng, work + hé, together.] Our Living Language : Most of us are not aware of it today, but the word gung ho has been in English only since 1942 and is one of the many words that entered the language as a result of World War II. It comes from Mandarin Chinese gōnghé, "to work together," which was used as a motto by the Chinese Industrial Cooperative Society. Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson (1896-1947) borrowed the motto as a moniker for meetings in which problems were discussed and worked out; the motto caught on among his Marines (the famous "Carlson's Raiders"), who began calling themselves the "Gung Ho Battalion." From there eager individuals began to be referred to as gung ho. Other words and expressions that entered English during World War II include flak, gizmo, task force, black market, and hit the sack. |
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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gung-ho
Extremely enthusiastic or zealous: “He was gung-ho about going on a vacation to the beach.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
gung-ho
[ˈgəŋˈho]
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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gung ho
1942, slang motto of Carlson's Raiders, (2nd Marine Raider Battalion, under Lt. Col. Evans Carlson, 1896-1947), U.S. guerrilla unit operating in the Pacific in World War II, from Chinese kung ho "work together, cooperate." Widely adopted in Amer.Eng. c.1959.
"Borrowing an idea from China, Carlson frequently has what he calls 'kung-hou' meetings .... Problems are threshed out and orders explained." ["New York Times Magazine," Nov. 8, 1942]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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gung ho
Also, gung-ho. Extremely enthusiastic or dedicated, as in She was gung ho about her new job. This expression was introduced in 1942 as a training slogan for a U.S. Marine battalion, derived from what an American officer thought were Mandarin Chinese words for "work together." It was actually an abbreviation for the name of Chinese industrial cooperatives.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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