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Glite Dictionary
boy howdy

boy howdy

1 9.9
A loud excited word people say to show surprise or strong feeling
  • idiom
  • /bɔɪ ˈhaʊdi/
  • Archaic
translation icon : ¡vaya!
  • Boy howdy.

Examples

  • I probably won't be spending a ton of time doing any cable management because boy howdy, I don't have a ton of time here.

  • JETHRO: Boy, howdy!

    The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)

  • "Boy howdy, this was an education and a half."

    Fiction book (1999)

  • boy howdy, that concert last night was the best I've ever attended!

  • I just finished the exam and boy howdy, I thought it was really challenging!

  • The food at that new restaurant was amazing, boy howdy, I'll be going back!

Synonyms

hoo
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
359 9.9

A shout people make to show excitement or surprise

is used also to add emphasis beyond mere surprise or excitement
yay
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
185 6.0

A short shout people make to show happiness or excitement

is used for surprise and emphasis rather than simple approval
woohoo
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
5 7.4

A loud shout people make to show excitement or joy

is often used for surprise or emphasis rather than pure celebration
whooo
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
5 9.4

A shout of strong excitement or joy

is more for surprise and emphasis than for prolonged cheering
wooo
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
1 8.2

A loud shout people make to show excitement

is more for surprise or strong emphasis than casual celebration
woa
vsboy howdy
  • Informal
1 9.9

A short shout showing surprise or asking for attention

is used for surprise or emphasis rather than calling for attention
zowie
vsboy howdy
  • Archaic
9.9

A short shout people use to show surprise or excitement, often in a playful way

is more neutral and not old fashioned in tone

How Excited

boy howdy
  • Archaic
1 9.9
holy cow
  • Informal
8 7.6
wow
  • Informal
∞ 1.0
oh my gosh
  • Informal
2 7.0
gosh
  • Informal
553 6.4
oh
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

boy howdy main

Morphology

boy + howdy

The phrase 'boy howdy' is a fixed colloquial exclamation of surprise or emphasis that does not follow a predictable compositional logic from 'boy' (a noun/intensifier) + 'howdy' (a greeting). Even if a B1 learner knows both words, the combined idiomatic use and dialectal nature make the overall meaning non-derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Boy howdy may come from the friendly greeting howdy, short for 'how do you do', with boy added to make the phrase louder and more excited. That's why boy howdy is used today to show 'surprise' or 'excitement'.