tallyho means used to urge on a fox hunt, especially when the fox is sighted. It carries an Arena rating of 1387, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tallyho ranks #943 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #1,135 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,467 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,539 of 17,163 for Funniest Words.
tallyho is pronounced /ˌtæliˈhoʊ/.
Why “tallyho” is a great word
A traditional cry used in fox hunting to signal the initial sighting of the fox, later adopted as a spirited greeting or exhortation. From the French hunting cry taïaut, from Middle French tahou, tayo, from Old French taho, ta ho, composed of the prodding particle ta and the interjection ho ("halt!"). First attested in English in 1772. Unlike "view-halloo" (which announces the fox breaking cover after the chase has begun) or "hello" (a flat, universal salutation), tallyho carries the specific weight of blood and class. It is the scarlet-coated rider erupting from a thicket's edge, the brass note of a horn carried on damp morning air, the sudden, hot rush of hounds straining at the leash—a sound that binds its speakers to centuries of ritual, land, and the peculiar English belief that shouting makes the quarry run faster.
Etymology
1772, UK, probably alteration of French taïaut (interjection used in deer-hunting), from Middle French tahou, tayo, from Old French taho, ta ho, tielau (interjection given to hounds to return) (second half of 13th century), composed of ta (particle used to prod animals) + ho ! (“halt!, hold!”). More at ho.
intj
- Used to urge on a fox hunt, especially when the fox is sighted.e.g.“There he is! Coming out of that coppice! Tallyho tallyho tallyho!”
- A cry used to signify encouragement when embarking on any somewhat daring endeavour.e.g.“Here goes the Lord with one of his famous "Tallyho" pullouts. Tallyho!” — 1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer:
- A simple greeting, primarily used by the upper classes.e.g.“Tallyho, chaps! What's the time, anybody?”
- Target sighted.e.g.“(Air Traffic Control): Speedbird 123, New York, traffic at two o’clock, seven miles, a Boeing 737, west-bound, at 4000 feet.””
noun
- An instance of the interjection.e.g.“Alright, I'll give them the old tallyho.”
- A pleasure coach.e.g.“They could not come to-day; there would have been hardly room for them in the tallyho.” — 1900, Rebecca Sophia Clarke, Jimmy, Lucy, and All:
verb
- To articulate the interjection.e.g.“I'll tallyho once we've got to the top.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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