Etymology

na-na na-na boo-boo

Today it means: A taunt or putdown, typically used to indicate that the speaker believes they has beaten the listener in a competition or is better in some other way or in a general sense; or an expression of satisfaction that the listener has received some supposedly deserved minor punishment or misfortune (that is to say, schadenfreude). Full definition →

First used c. mid 20th century?
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The story

Apparently from the longer childish playground taunt sung to a tune particular to the taunt: : I'm better than you, : na-na, na-na, boo-boo, : stick your head in doo-doo. Na-na and boo-boo may be imitations of sounds a baby or young toddler might make. Boo-boo may also indicate boo-boo, a minor injury which leaves a mark on a child such as a scraped knee.

First known use, by meaning

  • c. mid 20th century? A taunt or putdown, typically used to indicate that the speaker believes they has beaten the listener in a competition or is better in some other way or in a general sense; or an expression of satisfaction that the listener has received some supposedly deserved minor punishment or misfortune (that is to say, schadenfreude).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.