Word of the Day

: June 4, 2014

zowie

interjection ZOW-ee

What It Means

: - used to express astonishment or admiration especially in response to something sudden or speedy

zowie in Context

Did you see the race? Zowie! That was some fast bicycling!

"Zowie! It's almost February of your junior year! Can you believe it? Because college admissions officers are super-interested in this particular year, think about ways you can really shine in academics and extracurricular activities." - Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, The Huffington Post, January 28, 2014

Did You Know?

The word "zowie" was inspired by the sound of a speeding vehicle-a new phenomenon when the word entered the lexicon in 1902, the year before the Ford Motor Company sold its first car. It wasn't until the 1930s and 40s, though, that "zowie" really picked up the pace. "Zowie" isn't one of a kind. The British interjection "pip-pip," used to say "goodbye," dates to around the same time and is thought to be imitative of a bicycle or car horn. And "toodle-oo" (a word that sees some use on the American side of the Atlantic though it is more common in British English) shares the same meaning and hypothetical origin.