This one should be filed under Conversations with Zoodad. I don't know if I shared this story or not. If I have...well, here it is again.
Zoodad has gotten quite comfy back in Army life. The acronyms and vocabulary that never really left are just becoming more common. But recently, he just crossed the line.
Me: " I do this thing and then that thing and they will start on such a such day." (I'm a little sketchy on that part of the conversation.)
ZooDad: "Hooah."
Me: "What???? Did you just 'Hooah' me?"
ZooDad: "No, never."
Me: "I know you didn't just 'Hooah' me." (Yes, I got all getto-neck with a pointy finger and everything.) 'I will not be "hooah-ed'. No, no, no."
ZooDad, by this time, is laughing and then yells over his shoulder. "The wife will not be 'hooah-ed." To which a voice replied, "Oh man...you can't say "hooah" to wives. They get pissed."
Yeah, they do.
Hooah!
5 comments:
Okay, what does "hooah" mean?
I've heard it but I don't know what it means.
Me, too. I need to know. In what context are you taking offense?
ROFLMBO!!! Oh, Sheila, you crack me up!
Pens and mrsburns, "Hoo-ah" is the Army version of the catch-all phrase, mostly indicating agreement. It could mean, "good on ya" or "let's GO! YEAH! (followed by grunting)", or "damn straight!", or even, "well done, old chap". I'm pretty sure is perhaps the most highly inflected phrase in the Army vernacular, and the meaning imbued to "hoo-ah" is dependent wholly on context and verbalized intonation. Sort of like the Swedes have "ufda", the Army has "hoo-ah"
Anyway, you don't hoo-ah the wife because she's the wife. She'll take a well-placed "yes, ma'am" anyday, and she can work with the acronysms for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, but ya just don't hoo-ah the wife. It makes her think the next time she needs clothes, you're going to hit the uniform store and stock her up on one each of everything in OD Green. Or begin referring to himself and your marriage as you get older, as being a short-timer. :-)
Sheila, sorry if I hijacked your comment thread. It's been a while since I've been an Army wife, so if I'm off, let me know. ;-)
Dy
I don't mind at all, Dy.
Ok..the true test will be if you what OTF means. That one is always used in pity or disgust.
Yep, Hooah the most used word in the Army.
We used to have a chaplain who ended every prayer with "Hooah and Amen."
It's a multi-purpose word that can mean anything from "I'm still listening to you." to "I'm fully on board let me get my gear and we are out of here."
It's more of an Army GUY thing than an Army girl thing . Which is why you do not hooah the wife. The wife is NOT an Army guy.
Also worth mentioning is Army profanity. They come up with the most clever insults and descriptions that you just don't hear in the "real world."
Ahhhhh.....thanks for the explanations! :)
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