Yoicks

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. A shout used by huntsmen to spur on hounds during a chase ; an exclamation of excitement or encouragement used when something lively is underway
2. The call a hunter gives to urge the pack forward in pursuit ; a cheerful outcry expressing eagerness or enthusiasm at an exciting moment
3. A traditional hunting cry directing dogs to pursue quarry ; a joyful exclamation voiced to rouse spirits and cheer someone on

Etymology: Huntsmen shouting across a field needed a cry that carried, and "yoicks" is one of the sounds they used to send hounds after a fox. It works like a whoop: a rising call meant to be heard over a pack in full cry, not a word with a dictionary sense of its own. Its ultimate origin is uncertain. Like other hunting cries, it was probably formed to imitate a shout rather than borrowed from a particular language, and no reliable source traces it to a single earlier word. A related cry, "tally-ho," is often linked to a French hunting call, "taïaut," but even that connection is debated, so the sound may simply have been invented independently in more than one hunting tradition.

Synonyms: tally-ho, view halloo