Etymology

hullabaloo

hul·la·ba·loo
H4U1L1L1A1B3A1L1O1O1

Today it means: A clamour, a commotion; a fuss or uproar. Full definition →

First used 17th c.
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The story

Possibly a rhyming reduplication of halloo (used as a greeting or to catch attention; used in hunting to urge on pursuers), hilloa, hullo (variants of “hello”), and similar words.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. A clamour, a commotion; a fuss or uproar.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.