ecky thump
- idiom
- /ˈɛki θʌmp/
- Archaic
:
¡vaya!
- When he saw the bill, he cried out 'ecky thump!' in shock.
Examples
-
Ecky thump! I can't believe you did that!
-
Did you just say that? Ecky thump!
-
Ecky thump! That news was the last thing I expected.
-
Ecky thump, it’s freezing out here today!
-
Ecky thump! That news was the last thing I expected.
-
Ecky thump, it’s freezing out here today!
-
Ecky thump! I can't believe you did that!
Synonyms
347
8.9
An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something
90
8.9
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
40
9.3
A short sound people make to show they feel annoyed or do not believe something
26
9.9
A strong phrase people say when they are very surprised or shocked
24
9.9
A word people say to show mild surprise
17
9.4
A short informal cry showing surprise or strong feeling
16
8.3
A short sound people say to show surprise or excitement
7
9.1
A short sound people make when they feel a quick pain
7
9.9
A short exclamation used to show surprise or get someone's attention
5
7.5
A short phrase people say to show surprise or shock
5
9.6
A short cry of fear or surprise when something suddenly scares you
4
9.5
A short word people say when they are surprised or shocked
3
8.4
A short sound people make when they suddenly understand something
3
9.9
An old word people say to show surprise or shock
2
9.9
An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something
1
9.9
A short cry showing fear, surprise, or embarrassment
1
9.9
A short informal word people say to show surprise or shock
1
9.9
A short word people say to show surprise, discomfort, or embarrassment
1
9.9
An exclamation that shows strong anger or surprise as a mild swear
A short phrase people say when they feel surprised or do not believe something
A short shout showing surprise, alarm, or disbelief
An old-fashioned word people say to show surprise
A mild word people say when they are surprised or annoyed
An old-fashioned shout said to show surprise or shock
An old-fashioned shout to show surprise or annoyance
An old word people say to show surprise or anger
An old word people say to show surprise or strong feeling
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
An old-fashioned word people say to show disbelief or annoyance
A short word said to show mild surprise, annoyance, or frustration
A rude spoken word used to show surprise, anger or admiration
A strong phrase people say when they are very surprised or do not believe something
An informal rude phrase said to show surprise or not believe something
An old word people say to show surprise, anger, or shock
To say or write a short exclamation to show surprise
Surface Forms
Morphology
ecky + thump
Both elements of 'ecky thump' are dialectal/non-standard items with no clear literal meanings in general dictionaries, and the phrase is a fixed regional exclamation expressing surprise. Because its meaning is idiomatic and not compositionally derivable from recognizable constituent meanings, a B1 learner who only knew the parts would not be able to infer the exclamation's sense.
Etymology
The exclamation ecky thump may come from old northern English speech where ecky is a short shocked sound and thump means a sudden hit. That's why people imagine someone getting a quick knock and crying out, and the phrase is used to show 'surprise' or 'disbelief'.