Attaboy
/ˈæt̬.ə.bɔɪ/noun
An informal expression of praise or encouragement, especially for a boy or man.
Did you know?Unlike ancient curse-words or ritual formulas, attaboy is a modern spoken contraction, but it shows how quickly ordinary praise can harden into a fixed incantation-like phrase.
Etymological Timeline
Late 19th Century
English
that's a boy
“An approving exclamation meaning roughly “well done, boy.””
Early 20th Century
English
attaboy
“A clipped, enthusiastic spelling of the spoken phrase, used as praise or encouragement.”
Modern English
English
attaboy
“An informal cheer of approval, especially for someone who has done something well.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tod
“The distant ancestral demonstrative base behind English that/this/those.”