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What is Woo or Woo Woo?

Heretic

New Blood
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Apr 1, 2007
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Just a quick question. What is "woo"? I have seen the word used here often. However, I have Googled and checked with Urban Dictionary, but all it has is hip-hop culture definitions. From observing its usage here, I understand "woo" to mean "hooey" or, more specifically, "paranormal blather" or "spiritual claptrap." Am I correct in this? If so, what is the etymology? Is it perhaps onomatopoeia derived from the sound a ghost is supposed to make, or might it be an acronym for something like "wild outlandish opinion"? Then there seems to be a repeated "woo woo" variant. Is the repeated "woo woo" the original, shortened for easy Internet usage? Is it possible that "woo" is the misinformation, and "a woo woo" is the misinformed? I will edit the replies into a skeptical entry for the Urban Dictionary. Thanks.
 
I don't think the definition is quite as involved as you make out. Woo and "woo woo" seem to get used interchangeably, and the usage depends more on who's typing.

As for its definition, I'd say it's simply a catchall phrase for any irrational belief, rather than having to type out "psychics and magic and bigfoot and UFOs and reincarnation", only to have someone point out that your argument applies equally well to dowsing, homeopathy and conspiracy theories. It emphasises that you're discussing the whole body of irrationality, regardless of the particular details of the woo of the day that brought up the topic.


ETA: as to why "woo"? I've always pictured it as someone going, "Woo! Isn't that scary, boys and girls?" like Count Floyd.
 
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For me, its always been the word Audiphools make when they see a nice silver power chord.. woooo... Followed by them reaching for their wallet.

(I was that man, once upon a time.)
 
Heretic said:
Is it possible that "woo" is the misinformation, and "a woo woo" is the misinformed?
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Yes. That is my understanding of the terms.

woo = "paranormal blather"/"spiritual claptrap"/pseudoscience, etc.

woo-woo = a person who believes in woo.

Usage: "My sister-in-law is a real woo-woo, going in for astrology, homeopathy, and a bunch of other woo stuff."
"The cool thing about the JREF Forum is that we allow woo-woos to freely participate and discuss any topic they wish regardless of how woo it is; in fact, we encourage it."
 
I think it might have something to do with the music produced by a theremin which was used in many scifi and horror flicks to produce a spook "woooo - wooo" sound (Think of Wooo pronounced in 3 syllables with the tone higher on the second syllable). The sound became associated with scary supernatural stuff.
 
I've always thougth it originated from the sound heard whenever ghosts were about- WOOoo WOOOoooo. Just put a kid in a sheet, and listen to him.

Though some say it was from the sound the flying saucers made in old science fiction movie. A warbling WOO-WOoo-Woo-woo, desending in pitch and volume as the saucer descends. I remember Dick Van Dyke parodying it on his old show with Mary Tyler Moore.
 
Beady said:
I think the etymology, for lack of a better word, is the theme from The Twilight Zone. Try singing it to yourself, using "woo" for all the lyrics.
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Horatius said:
ETA: as to why "woo"? I've always pictured it as someone going, "Woo! Isn't that scary, boys and girls?" like Count Floyd.
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JamPal said:
For me, its always been the word Audiphools make when they see a nice silver power chord.. woooo... Followed by them reaching for their wallet.
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supercorgi said:
I think it might have something to do with the music produced by a theremin which was used in many scifi and horror flicks to produce a spook "woooo - wooo" sound (Think of Wooo pronounced in 3 syllables with the tone higher on the second syllable). The sound became associated with scary supernatural stuff.
Click to expand...

casebro said:
I've always thougth it originated from the sound heard whenever ghosts were about- WOOoo WOOOoooo. Just put a kid in a sheet, and listen to him.

Though some say it was from the sound the flying saucers made in old science fiction movie. A warbling WOO-WOoo-Woo-woo, desending in pitch and volume as the saucer descends. I remember Dick Van Dyke parodying it on his old show with Mary Tyler Moore.
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I think we may have stumbled upon a fundamental sound in human experience. Anytime anything weird occurs, someone will go "Wooooo!"
 
I'm a longtime lurker on this forum and even though I'll admit I'm a bit woo-ish at times I very much enjoy the conversation here. This is the first time I've felt the burning need to contribute to the discussion but here goes. I'm completely surprised at the origins provided here for the meaning of "woo" as it relates to skepticism.

All along I've assumed (uh-oh) that it meant being won over by the lure of wonderful things promised (similiar to a lover "wooing" their intended). I think all rational people agree that Sylvia Browne woos her followers with how wonderful their lives would be to know things that they can only find out from her or how perfect things would be for them if they follow her phoney religion.

This in the definition of woo from Merriam-Webster:

1 : to sue for the affection of and usually marriage with : court
2 : to solicit or entreat especially with importunity <woo new customers>
3 : to seek to gain or bring about

I'll slip back into the ether now. :)
 
I always thought Randi popularized the term...I've heard him use it, and I think I picked it up from him. And I go for the singular "woo" to describe the person and/or claim. Succinct. To the point. It signifies one who thinks feelings and/or faith are good ways to know the "truth". Those pesky skeptics are always asking for things like evidence and facts--
 
articulett said:
I always thought Randi popularized the term...I've heard him use it, and I think I picked it up from him. And I go for the singular "woo" to describe the person and/or claim. Succinct. To the point. It signifies one who thinks feelings and/or faith are good ways to know the "truth". Those pesky skeptics are always asking for things like evidence and facts--
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I agree with Art on this one. Woo-Woo sounds like a train. I don't have any negative connotations regarding trains, do you? And trains are real. I saw one once. Honest.
 
I always thought it went back to Daffy Duck in his early, crazy days when he bounced all over the landscape, manically shouting "Woo-woo! Woo-woo!" So I read "woo-woo" as meaning "crazy as a duck."
 
Any insight into how widespread the use of the term "woo" is?

Mr. Katana introduced me to online forums (so he belongs to a few), but he has still not encountered the term.

I find it amusing, and I'm now accustomed to it. I'm just wondering how much I should expect if I use it outside this forum (and a choice two others that I occasionally visit).
 
casebro said:
I agree with Art on this one. Woo-Woo sounds like a train. I don't have any negative connotations regarding trains, do you? And trains are real. I saw one once. Honest.
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I believe that forum member, Grayman, is a "man of trains"--he told me so, and here is verifiable proof. I have no negative connotations regarding trains nor engineers nor skeptics. I'm sticking with Woo in the singular form...and I like the new acronym I learned above.
 
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