ballyhoo

ballyhoo

English

WOTD – 12 June 2006

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bæliˈhuː/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Etymology 1

Unknown.

Noun

ballyhoo (plural ballyhoos)

1. Sensational or clamorous advertising or publicity.
2. Noisy shouting or uproar.

Translations

sensational or clamorous advertising or publicity

Bulgarian: сензация (bg) (senzacija), патърдия (patǎrdija) French: battage (fr) m

Russian: шуми́ха (ru) f (šumíxa), сенса́ция (ru) f (sensácija)

noise shouting or uproar

Bulgarian: шум (bg) (šum), врява (bg) (vrjava) German: Klamauk (de) m

Russian: шум (ru) m (šum), гам (ru) m (gam) Spanish: alboroto (es), jaleo (es)

Verb

ballyhoo (third-person singular simple present ballyhoos, present participle ballyhooing, simple past and past participle ballyhooed)

1. To sensationalise or make grand claims.
   • 1933 — Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fireside Chat (7 May)

     Industry has picked up, railroads are carrying more freight, farm prices are better, but I am not going to indulge in issuing proclamations of over-enthusiastic assurance. We cannot ballyhoo ourselves back to prosperity.

Translations

to sensationalise or make grand claims

German: marktschreierisch anpreisen

Spanish: alborotar (es)

Related terms

• ballyhooed (adjective)

Etymology 2

Spanish balajú

Noun

ballyhoo (plural ballyhoos)

1. Certain species in family Hemiramphidae, inshore, surface-dwelling needlefish forming sizeable schools.
   1. Hemiramphus brasiliensis

Translations

species of needlefish

Finnish: brasiliannokkakala

French: aiguillette (fr) f

Etymology 3

Possibly from Spanish balahú (“schooner”).

Noun

ballyhoo (plural ballyhoos)

1. An unseaworthy or slovenly ship.

References

• “Ballyhoo” in Michael Quinion, Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, 2004, →ISBN.