どっこい

どっこい

Japanese

Interjection

どっこい (rōmaji dokkoi)

1. uttered when moving something heavy or making a great physical exertion

   Synonyms: どっこいしょ, よいしょ

2. hold on!, hush!; interjection used to interrupt someone speaking or to express disagreement

   どっこい、そうはいかない！

   Dokkoi, sō wa ikanai!

   Hold on, that’s not right!

3. nonsense word used for rhythm in songs or rhymes
   • 1928, “40: Hime ga takisui no ue furyū [Elegance of the Princess atop the waterfall]”, in Nihon kayō shūsei [Japan folk song collection]‎, volume 10:

     二 (に)世 (せい)も三 (さん)世 (せい)もひざもとさらぬ五 (ご)合 (ごう)樽 (たる)さけかんなべなしの。ひやざけどっこいー。ひやざけどっこいー。

     Nisei mo sansei mo hizamoto saranu go gō taru sake kannabe nashi no. Hiya zake dokkoī. Hiya zake dokkoī.

     Neither second-generation nor third-generation leave your side, five-cup sake barrel, no kannabe. Cold sake dokkoi! Cold sake dokkoi!

References

• 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN