W00t: Difference between revisions
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"w00t" is pronounced to rhyme with "boot" or "shoot", and can also be written as "woot", "w00+", "w007", "wo0t" or any number of other [[leet|leetspeak]] variations. The "w" in "w00t" is sometimes also followed by an "h", as in "wh00t", "whoot" or "wh007". Some argue that "w00t!" is the only proper spelling. The symbolic approximation of [[Latin alphabet|Latin]] letter forms makes "w00t" a prime example of [[leet]]. It may also sometimes be seen spelled as "wewt", without any change in pronunciation, or even adding an S to the front; "Swoot", pronounced as written. The phrase is often used twice in succession, as in "w00t! w00t!". |
"w00t" is pronounced to rhyme with "boot" or "shoot", and can also be written as "woot", "w00+", "w007", "wo0t" or any number of other [[leet|leetspeak]] variations. The "w" in "w00t" is sometimes also followed by an "h", as in "wh00t", "whoot" or "wh007". Some argue that "w00t!" is the only proper spelling. The symbolic approximation of [[Latin alphabet|Latin]] letter forms makes "w00t" a prime example of [[leet]]. It may also sometimes be seen spelled as "wewt", without any change in pronunciation, or even adding an S to the front; "Swoot", pronounced as written. The phrase is often used twice in succession, as in "w00t! w00t!". |
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The word is often used as a taunt in first person shooter games, or multiplayer games, typically used with [[pwn|pwned]], as in "3y3 pwned j00! w00t! w00t!" (I owned you, w00t! w00t!). "'''W'''e '''O'''wned the '''O'''ther '''T'''eam", is a [[backronym]] of w00t commonly used in team based first person shooters such as ''[[Quake]]'' and ''[[Counter-Strike]]''. Although in recent evolutions of Counter |
The word is often used as a taunt in first person shooter games, or multiplayer games, typically used with [[pwn|pwned]], as in "3y3 pwned j00! w00t! w00t!" (I owned you, w00t! w00t!). "'''W'''e '''O'''wned the '''O'''ther '''T'''eam", is a [[backronym]] of w00t commonly used in team based first person shooters such as ''[[Quake]]'' and ''[[Counter-Strike]]''. Although in recent evolutions of Counter-Strike (Counter-Strike Source) w00t is not used as much as used to be. This is due to the fact that the people who used so-called leetspeak have stayed with the original CS games. |
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"w00t" also materialized on IRC ([[warez]] channels in particular) in the mid-1990s—an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] word of the sound a robot might make ("clicks", "whirrs", and "beeps" were also popular). Upon entering a channel, or entering into a "conversation" with a [[bot]], one could be greeted with "w00t": "W00t! Welcome nght_kllah back to #ultiwarez!" |
"w00t" also materialized on IRC ([[warez]] channels in particular) in the mid-1990s—an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] word of the sound a robot might make ("clicks", "whirrs", and "beeps" were also popular). Upon entering a channel, or entering into a "conversation" with a [[bot]], one could be greeted with "w00t": "W00t! Welcome nght_kllah back to #ultiwarez!" |
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Revision as of 19:19, 17 September 2005
- "Woot" redirects here. For other uses, see WOOT (disambiguation).
The term "w00t" is a slang interjection used to express happiness or excitement, usually over the Internet. The expression is most popular on USENET posts [1], multiplayer computer games (especially first-person shooters), IRC chats, and instant messages, though use on the World Wide Web in the form of weblogs or in forums is by no means uncommon.
Origins
w00t comes to us via a strange path through music and culture. In 1993 two songs with amazingly similar titles both rose to the top 10 of Billboard's hot tracks for the year. "Whoomp, there it is," and "Whoot, there it is" by rap groups Tag Team and 95 South, respectively, were both describing their pleasure at sighting the posterior of a voluptuous woman (and following in the footsteps of the previous summer's #3 smash hit "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot). These phrases quickly showed up on the Internet in discussion of the songs and in similar discussion in alt.rap and rec.music. Another, although less popular, explanation for the origins of the phrase "w00t" is from the role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons and the term, "whoo loot" being shortened to "w00t." Another possible origin of the w00t is that upon getting a successful connection, computer hackers would shout "root". This being modified through passing around, becoming the w00t it is today.
Usage
It is sometimes explained that "w00t" is an exclamation of excitement, which cannot be used sarcastically. Because Internet text-based chat cannot communicate the vocal subtleties of spoken word, such as sarcasm, word choice can be very important to the clarity of a message. "Whoo-hoo", "yay", "hooray", and other words similar to "w00t" could all be used with sarcastic intent ("I have a dentist's appointment today. Yay."), whereas "w00t" would always be interpreted as a genuine expression of excitement ("I have a dentist's appointment today. w00t!"). However, in some circles it has lost impact due to overuse.
"w00t" is pronounced to rhyme with "boot" or "shoot", and can also be written as "woot", "w00+", "w007", "wo0t" or any number of other leetspeak variations. The "w" in "w00t" is sometimes also followed by an "h", as in "wh00t", "whoot" or "wh007". Some argue that "w00t!" is the only proper spelling. The symbolic approximation of Latin letter forms makes "w00t" a prime example of leet. It may also sometimes be seen spelled as "wewt", without any change in pronunciation, or even adding an S to the front; "Swoot", pronounced as written. The phrase is often used twice in succession, as in "w00t! w00t!".
The word is often used as a taunt in first person shooter games, or multiplayer games, typically used with pwned, as in "3y3 pwned j00! w00t! w00t!" (I owned you, w00t! w00t!). "We Owned the Other Team", is a backronym of w00t commonly used in team based first person shooters such as Quake and Counter-Strike. Although in recent evolutions of Counter-Strike (Counter-Strike Source) w00t is not used as much as used to be. This is due to the fact that the people who used so-called leetspeak have stayed with the original CS games.
"w00t" also materialized on IRC (warez channels in particular) in the mid-1990s—an onomatopoeic word of the sound a robot might make ("clicks", "whirrs", and "beeps" were also popular). Upon entering a channel, or entering into a "conversation" with a bot, one could be greeted with "w00t": "W00t! Welcome nght_kllah back to #ultiwarez!"
Also, most people claim that the term "w00t!" simply isn't complete without the use of the exclamation mark, as it adds to the rejoiceful inherent meaning of the word.
An emoticon "\o/" is used for "w00t!" during chat. This emoticon appears to be derived from Homer Simpson's cry of happiness "woohoo!" and it is perhaps inspired by the Japanese cry, "banzai!". Both involve a shout and the raising of the arms above the head.
According to a contest on Merriam-Webster Online, "w00t" is the third most popular word used in popular culture that is not in the dictionary.
See also
External links
- Thinkgeek sells a t-shirt with the word and offers their take on the history of the expression.
- The Jargon File offers their definition of the word.