Eh ba goom!

[Younger Son]

This is completely off topic (unless The Great Room has no topic in particular), so if the admins consider it inappropriate, I welcome their removing it.

However.

In my reading of a P.G. Wodehouse novel, I came across the phrase, "eh ba goom." It is used merely by reference, as something the narrator thought people never actually said. The first Google result for the phrase is that passage of Wodehouse.

What exactly does "eh ba goom" mean? How is it defined (which is redundant, but I'm hoping "define eh ba goom" will Google back to this thread)?

From context, it seems to be Irish, or Irish-accented English. It looks like an exclamation, expressing pleasure at such-and-such being the case. If I had to guess, it might be dialect for "Eh! By gum!," but that is only a guess.

Can anyone guide me?

[jtb1951]

If I had to guess, it might be dialect for "Eh! By gum!," but that is only a guess.

By Jove, I think he's got it!:). Hey, Y.S., your post caught my attention, and it sounded Irish to me too, so I called a friend who speaks Gaelic and confirmed your guess. Way to go!!!

John.

[vicki]

My inner geek wouldn't allow me to pass by without also googling at least "ba goom," and I found several references to Irish dialect, but probably more regarding Yorkshire dialect, such as this (http://videofriends.goldenpenproductions.com/tm.asp?m=21313&mpage=4).

[Younger Son]

My inner geek wouldn't allow me to pass by without also googling at least "ba goom," and I found several references to Irish dialect, but probably more regarding Yorkshire dialect, such as this (http://videofriends.goldenpenproductions.com/tm.asp?m=21313&mpage=4).
Ach. Google the sub-phrase. Shoulda done it myself.

And Yorkish does sound likely.

[AmyLizzie]

I'm so sorry and I don't wish to sound offensive but this thread so made me laugh! The phrase 'Eh by gum!' is used quite often in Yorkshire and that region, it's a sort of comic phrase, still used by the older generation mostly, but more often in jest. It sort of means 'Oh my God' its a regional phrase like, in my part of the world, 'crikey' is used or 'flippen eck' it's strange to me to find you all googling things that I see and hear every day :) again no wish to be offensive to anyone but I did smile when I saw this thread. P G Wodehouse, wouldn't have used this phrase as it is quite a working class turn of speech :) Hope this has helped some people understand the wonder that is the British....:)

[Younger Son]

P G Wodehouse, wouldn't have used this phrase as it is quite a working class turn of speech :)

Beg pardon, but I know when I'm reading P.G. Wodehouse (http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/P_G_Wodehouse/Right_Ho_Jeeves/Chapter_15_p1.html). (Third paragraph, last three words.)

[vicki]

Maybe he wouldn't have used it other than when writing a character from Yorkshire, however? <Shrugs>

I've never read any PGW (despite many exhortations from online reading buddies), but reading his wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._G._Wodehouse)was interesting. I had now idea he worked on "Anything Goes" with Cole Porter(!) or was a prisoner of the Germans during WWII.

it's strange to me to find you all googling things that I see and hear every day

Hehehe--it would probably be as if I'd logged on to find a very serious and hyperlinked discussion of the term "y'all" as it is used in the southern USA. If I had a nickel for every time I'd used that word, I'd be rolling in money! But it's probably somewhat exotic to most English-speaking folks outside of this region.

[AmyLizzie]

Sorry I meant, he wouldn't have used it in his every day life, he would use it in his writing - sorry if I sounded offensive. xxx