# yo-ho-ho
## English
### Etymology

The term was popularized by a (fictional) pirate shanty in the novel Treasure Island (1883) by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) – see the quotation – but appears in earlier songs of sailors. The term is possibly a variant of yo-he-ho, apparently a short form of yo-heave-ho (“a repetitive call made to synchronize workers performing some collective physical labour, such as hauling on a rope”).

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈjəʊhəʊhəʊ/, /jəʊhəʊˈhəʊ/
* Audio (Received Pronunciation):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /ˈjoʊhoʊhoʊ/, /ˌjoʊˌhoʊˈhoʊ/
* Rhymes: -əʊ

### Interjection

yo-ho-ho
* A cry associated with pirates and seafaring, originally a repetitive chant intended to synchronize workers performing some collective physical labour, such as hauling on a rope.
** [1852, William B[atchelder] Bradbury, “The Fisherman”, in The Alpine Glee Singer: A Complete Collection of Secular and Social Music, […], New York, N.Y.: Newman & Ivison, […], →OCLC, page 66:How happy, my comrades, how happy are we, / While drawing fish from the dark rolling sea, / While drawing fish from the dark rolling sea. / Yo ho, yo ho, yo ho, ho, ho!]
** [1876, W. O. Perkins, “Sailor’s Chorus”, in The Male Voice Glee Book, for Colleges, Men’s Vocal Clubs, and the Social Circle; […], Boston, Mass.: Oliver Ditson & Company, […], →OCLC, page 52:We're rolling along, rolling along, / As over the sea we go, / As over the sea we go, / And our anchor we heave, while we're singing our song. / Sing yo! ho! cheery men, ho! / Sing yo! cheery men, ho!]
** 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Ebb-tide Runs”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part V (My Sea Adventure), page 188:The endless ballad had come to an end at last, and the whole diminished company about the camp fire had broken into the chorus I had heard so often:— / "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! / Drink and the devil had done for the rest— / Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!"
** 1914, Werner Mathews, “Sailor’s Song. (Invitation to the Sea).”, in Adolescence: Being Selections from Occasional Poems and Meditations Illustrating that of the Author, Cambridge: At the press of the Cambridge Review; Fabb & Tyler, Limited, →OCLC, page 45:Where the Ships sail down / To the Western Sun / Alone in the Ocean Blue, / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho! / Yo ho ho! Yo ho ho!
** 2004, Jackie French, “My Mum the Pirate”, in One Big Wacky Family, Sydney, N.S.W.: Angus & Robertson, →ISBN:'With a yo ho ho and we'll raise the flag, / We've lots of cake in a paper bag. / We've six watermelons and pizza too. / It's a pirate's life for me and you!' / The sound of singing—well, something like singing, anyway—floated up from the creek.
** 2016, Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain, edited by Catherine Coe, Yo Ho Ho! (Rising Stars Reading Planet), London: Rising Stars UK, Hodder Education Group, →ISBN, page 13:When Asha threw the hair clip, the pirates jumped like flying fish to grab it. Pirate Joe leaped the highest and caught it. "Yo ho ho! It's mine!" he said.

#### Synonyms

* yoho (rare)

#### Related terms

* yo-he-ho
* yo-heave-ho

#### See also

* Thesaurus:pirate

### References

* ↑ “yo-ho-ho, exclamation”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022; compare “yo-he-ho, n. (and int.)”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2016.

### Further reading

* Dead Man's Chest on Wikipedia.Wikipedia