Wossat

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. An informal British exclamation used to ask someone to repeat what they just said or to ask what a thing was
2. A casual spoken interjection, a slangy shortening of what was that, used to request repetition or clarification
3. Colloquial expression by which a speaker asks for a remark to be repeated or wants to know what something is

Etymology: "Wossat" is a colloquial contraction of "what's that," written as it sounds in casual speech. The "wh" of "what" is dropped and the "that" is run into the "what's," so the spelling records pronunciation rather than a separate word with its own history. Its most familiar use is as a joke on "howzat," the cricket appeal shouted at an umpire to ask whether a batsman is out. "Howzat" is itself a clipped "how's that." Swapping in "wossat" turns the shout into a plain question, which is why it reads as a light parody.