cheerio

See also: Cheerio

English

Etymology

From cheer and/or cheery +‎ -o.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /'tʃɪəri:əʊ/

Interjection

cheerio

1. (Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, informal) a greeting or parting
   • 1921, Wodehouse, P. G., Indiscretions of Archie, ch. XIII. Rallying Round Percy:

     "In that case," said Archie, relieved, "cheerio, good luck, pip-pip, toodle-oo, and good-bye-ee! I'll be shifting!"

Synonyms

• (greeting): hello
• (parting): goodbye

Usage notes

Rarely used in North America. Although likely to be understood, it is likely to be considered humorous, and may be used in a parody of British English speakers.

Translations

exclamation used when greeting as well as when parting

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 嗨 (zh) ‎(hāi), 喂 (zh) ‎(wèi), 你好 (zh) ‎(nǐhǎo) (when greeting), 再見 (zh), 再见 (zh) ‎(zàijiàn), 再會 (zh), 再会 (zh) ‎(zàihuì), 拜拜 (zh) ‎(bàibài, bāibái, báibái) (when parting)

• Czech: servus (cs), ahoj (cs), čau (cs)
• Dutch: hoi (nl)
• Finnish: terve (fi), hei (fi)
• French: salut (fr)
• German: hallo (de) (when greeting), tschüss (de) (when parting)
• Hindi: बंदगी (hi) ‎(bandagī)
• Italian: ciao (it)

• Japanese: こんにちは (ja) ‎(konnichi wa), やあ ‎(yā), どうも ‎(dōmo) (when greeting), では ‎(dewa), またね ‎(mata ne), じゃ (ja) ‎(ja), バイバイ (ja) ‎(baibai), バイ (ja) ‎(bai) (when parting)
• Korean: 안녕 (ko) ‎(annyeong)
• Polish: cześć (pl) (when greeting), pa (pl) (when parting)
• Russian: приве́т (ru) ‎(privét), здоро́во (ru) ‎(zdoróvo) (when greeting); пока́ (ru) ‎(poká), бу́дь здоро́в! (ru) ‎(búdʹ zdoróv!) (informal, to a man), бу́дь здоро́ва! ‎(búdʹ zdoróva!) (informal, to a woman), бу́дьте здоро́вы! (ru) ‎(búdʹte zdoróvy!) (formal or to a group) (when parting)
• Scottish Gaelic: tioraidh
• Serbo-Croatian: bok (sh), бок

Noun

cheerio ‎(plural cheerios)

1. (New Zealand, Australia) A small saveloy often consumed with tomato sauce at parties.
   • 1978, New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates (page 4230)

     The man who has gone around the cocktail circuit pounding cheerios to the end of time did not come in here and open his mouth once on the Bill.

Synonyms

• cocktail sausage
• little boy