Etymology of w00t

US, attested 1996, variant of earlier wh00t (1994), leetspeak form of whoot (1993), form standardized and popularized in dancehall anthem by rap song “Whoot, There It Is” (single released March 22, 1993) by group 95 South – compare often-confused “Whoomp! (There It Is)” (single released May 7, 1993) by group Tag Team – both in Miami bass genre (also less common “Whoops, there it is”), from earlier varied oral usage whoo, whoof, woo, woof (compare standard woohoo), notably by studio audience on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–94) and in movie Pretty Woman (1990). The usage of The Arsenio Hall Show, specifically by the “dogpound” section of the audience, was in turn based on a dog’s bark woof (“(sound of dog barking)”), and derived from chants used at football games by the Cleveland Browns, from Hall’s home town, team nicknamed “The Dogs”. Many folk etymologies exist, but written record is clear: the term appears widely in popular print use only from 1993, particularly used both in dancehalls and at sporting events, and is credited to the songs. The w00t form gained popularity on the internet from 1996, especially in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

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