Comments on: Boy Howdy

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:16:28 +0000

And I thought I had invented this recently! Then I heard someone use it last night and found this page, nothing new under the sun.

By: EJ

EJ — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:26:26 +0000

QVC host just said the MacBook pro he’s presenting is ‘Boy Howdy’ fast.
Butters from South Park has also said it.

By: Erdaram

Erdaram — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 02:53:09 +0000

The early settler “Cowboys” of Western Broward in South Florida i.e. 1920s-40s
used Boy Howdy as we today might use
the response “Been there, done that”.

By: Mafonzie

Mafonzie — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:35:41 +0000

The 1st I read it was in Jayne Ann Krentz’s book All Night Long:’ Boy howdy, is that what u call it here in the mountains? ‘ great!

By: jude

jude — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:27:51 +0000

I’ve been in Texas since “79″ and have never heard anyone say “Boy Howdy”. The only person i ever remember hearing say it was John Mellencamp, and he is from my home state of Indiana….I don’t know why it struck me as funny he should use that term.

By: Lynnie

Lynnie — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:51:41 +0000

Have heard “Boy howdy!” shouted in southern churches as a synonym to “Amen!” (In churches with particularly rowdy “amen corners”.)

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:29:48 +0000

This is definitely a Southernism. I’ve heard it used often by people from all over the Deep South — Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and those parts of North Florida that are still Southern. It is simiilar in some ways to “I heard that!” I would characterize it as a conversational intensifier, indicating emphatic agreement or underscoring a point. I’ve also heard a variant used in Southern rodeo circles: “Boy howdy and jam your hat on tight!” This phrase is used to indicate the anticipation of trouble or difficulty. Cowboy #1: “I heard Billy Bob spent the rent money on his entry fee — you think his wife’ll be mad?” #2: “Boy howdy and jam your hat on tight!” #1: “I heard that!”

By: Roswell

Roswell — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:25:23 +0000

My brain hurts, but I get it now…. Thank you:)

By: bob

bob — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:47:54 +0000

“Boy Howdy!” as a response reminds me of the phrase “And how!” I wonder if there is a connection there, that would have been an intermediate stage, such as “Did that hurt?” –> “Boy! And how did it!”

And “Man!” has the same usage as “Boy!” to emphasize what follows. Never heard “Girl!” though.

By: Jim Brown

Jim Brown — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:04:58 +0000

This term is used sarcastically in response to a slow thinker’s revelation of a pretty obvious fact: “Well, Boy Howdy!”