-poo

-poo

See also: poo, Poo, POO, pooh, and Pooh

English

Alternative forms

• poo

Etymology

Unknown, probably arbitrary or from poo.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /puː/, sometimes including reduction of the preceding /i/ to /ɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pu/

Suffix

-poo

1. Added to nouns, especially personal names, ending in -y or -ie to form affectionate, playful diminutives.
   • 1908 January 28, Republican News, p. 8:

     This is my little dog, Pinky-Panky-Poo. Bark at the gentleman, Pinky-Panky-Poo.

   • 1932, James Mitchell, Sunset Song, p. 21:

     ...they would scraich out ‘Inky poo, your nose is blue, You're awful like the Turra Coo!’ whenever they saw Ellison go by.

   • 2002, William Kennedy, Roscoe, p. 241:

     As Elisha passes her on his way to the microphone she does her boa-constrictor number, big huggypoo, big kissypoo. Once past Pammypoo, Elisha makes a speech.

References

• “-poo, comb. form.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Anagrams

• OOP, oop