va-va-voom

English

Etymology

The first documented use of the phrase is on the April 21, 1949 episode of The Morey Amsterdam Show. Art Carney portrays "Newton the waiter" in a sketch and uses the phrase. He later recorded a song entitled "Va Va Va Voom" (1954). It was popularized a year later by car mechanic Nick in the Hollywood classic Kiss Me Deadly (1955), which helped the catchphrase to be remembered and reused many decades later in advertisements and pop songs.

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Interjection

va-va-voom

(slang) Expressing that something is lively, sexy, passionate, or exciting.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:va-va-voom.

Noun

va-va-voom (uncountable)

(slang) Lively excitement or sexuality.

References

“va-va-voom”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
The Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., 1954 May 29, →ISSN, page 54: “ART CARNEY […] / Va Va Va Voom. . . .79 / A Billboard "Spotlight" 5-22-'54. / (Songsmith, ASCAP)”.

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