What does Woo mean to you?

Old_Cat_Lady
Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
edited November 19 in Chit-Chat
I grew up with Woo-hoo. Used it all my life. I never knew it could be negative.

Replies

  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    Definitions from reliable dictionary sites do not have any negative definitions for Woo.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Woo = BS (and no I don't mean a degree)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    MFP has provided an official definition.

    It can mean either enthusiasm (as in woo-hoo -- although I never hear that as just "woo" so would not read it that way) OR "things that are too good to be true."

    I'm 100% sure this was covered on the other thread about this you were posting on. Are you thinking this will get a different answer?

    Woo's standard slang meaning tends to mean "things that are not scientifically backed, bunk, or, indeed, things that you'd like to be true, but are too good to be true."

    Neither "woo=woo-hoo" or "woo=unscientific things that people believe" are dictionary definitions. The dictionary definition is probably for "to woo," but that obviously makes no sense as a reaction.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    SezxyStef, may I ask what country you live in? I have lived in many eastern states and have never heard woo as b.s. used.
    For other negative answers, could you state the country you live in and if it's used in conversation or just on the internet.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    tenor.gif
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    "Hey folks!!

    Thank you to everyone who participated in our poll for a new reaction. We had a very clear winner.

    The winning vote goes to... Woo!

    Since Woo is a different type of reaction than anything we've enabled in the past, we're going to start this off in beta mode.

    Woo can mean two things. You can click it both to mean woo as in woo-hoo or to express that you think an idea or approach is too good to be true.

    We hope you enjoy the new reaction!!

    :heart: The MFP Community Team"

    I'd guess the MFP Community Team is largely in California, but wooo knows. ;-)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    SezxyStef, may I ask what country you live in? I have lived in many eastern states and have never heard woo as b.s. used.
    For other negative answers, could you state the country you live in and if it's used in conversation or just on the internet.

    I live in Eastern Canada...actually right across the border from the states...Maine to be exact...

    But that is not a regional thing...it's an internet thing...it's a forum thing.
  • LucasLean
    LucasLean Posts: 100 Member
    It reminds me of this cartoon by Don Hertzfeldt, except the word in the clip was "weh".

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbecmZdIh0E
  • No_Knock
    No_Knock Posts: 52 Member
    Woo-hoo is your classic Homer Simpson exhaltation. Woo to me, is garbage that can't be backed up with any proof. To me, religion is woo, thinking The Force is real is woo, etc. (Sorry if it's your thing. I fault no one for their beliefs, I just have my own)
  • heavensshadow
    heavensshadow Posts: 264 Member
    Actually, I've used "woo" as a shortened version of "woo-hoo" for ages.... but I usually tack on a few more O's or make it all caps to accentuate the enthusiasm. I've never heard of it (until last week) being used for calling out bro-sciences or BS statements.

    I don't internet enough. :smirk:
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    There is a dictionary definition for "woo woo" as a negative meaning from a reliable sites:

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woo-woo
    Definition of woo–woo
    : dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific
    And she has written a book … in which she dismisses what she calls “woo-woo spirituality” in favor of some straight talk on living with loss … — Linda Richman
    Energy beams from the eyes certainly sounds like woo-woo stuff … — Steve Blow

    Popular usage has shortened the expression to just "woo".

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    OP it may not be something you've encountered before, but it is commonly utilized on these boards, and I think others, to call out pseudoscience and things that don't have a strong basis in actual science, more of a "feeling" or anecdotal, correlative solution; or just straight up nonsense and bad information.

    Things like clickbait articles that advertise "10 foods that will melt belly fat" or "Drink ACV every day for major health benefits and rapid weight loss" or "Don't eat after 7pm in order to lose weight" would be labeled (appropriately, IMO) as Woo. A lot of those sentiments then carry over to these boards, either when people are asking if anyone has tried one of these things, or claiming these approaches as being a viable option for achieving health and weight loss goals, and members of these boards will often shut that down quickly, often very bluntly or sarcastically, sometimes feelings are hurt, a mean people thread ensues, warnings are issued, and the discussion gets locked down.

    I think the idea of having a "woo" button, could have helped prevent some of that, but it also could exacerbate a lot of those steps in the process.

  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    Wow to me woo means like "woohoo awesome!"
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited June 2017
    Rating someone as dubious could cause problems here (I think). Some people really take these ratings very personally. I'm still surprised MFP allowed this negative comment.
    Ex: Someone could truly, deep down think that taking vitamin B12 is absolutely necessary for vegans. Someone may rate that as woo. Then you have an argument.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Rating someone as dubious could cause problems here (I think). Some people really take these ratings very personally. I'm still surprised MFP allowed this negative comment.
    Ex: Someone could truly, deep down think that taking vitamin B12 is absolutely necessary for vegans. Someone may rate that as woo. Then you have an argument.

    Objectively and factually, that second person would be wrong. B12 supplementation (or eating foods fortified with it) is required for vegans.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    Janet, I wouldn't know anything about b12. First thing I thought of.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Janet, I wouldn't know anything about b12. First thing I thought of.

    My point (which I didn't make very well) is that if a statement isn't woo, it will be reasonably easy for people to establish that. I would have no concerns with my factual statements being marked with "woo" (in fact, my post above already got that reaction) because they're factual and there is evidence for them.

    If I came on here to tell everyone that the secret to weight loss is, say, avoiding all white foods, it would be harder to find any supporting evidence for that.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    I'm way off. I thought Woo = Werke ohne Opuszahl ("Works without opus number") (WoO), also Kinsky–Halm Catalogue, is a German musical catalogue prepared in 1955 by Georg Kinsky and Hans Halm, listing all of the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven that were not originally published with an opus number, or survived only as fragments.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Janet, I wouldn't know anything about b12. First thing I thought of.

    My point (which I didn't make very well) is that if a statement isn't woo, it will be reasonably easy for people to establish that. I would have no concerns with my factual statements being marked with "woo" (in fact, my post above already got that reaction) because they're factual and there is evidence for them.

    If I came on here to tell everyone that the secret to weight loss is, say, avoiding all white foods, it would be harder to find any supporting evidence for that.

    I don't think they were say it really was "woo" but an example of what someone could call woo based on what they think is invalid information.
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
    To me woo only have two meanings: you try and woo someone if you want to have a romantic relationship or bro science (BS) not backed up by fact.

    We already have awesome to say wohooo. It is a great way of being passively aggressive on the forums. Say nothing just press the woo button.
  • sw33tp3a1
    sw33tp3a1 Posts: 5,065 Member
    LucasLean wrote: »
    It reminds me of this cartoon by Don Hertzfeldt, except the word in the clip was "weh".

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbecmZdIh0E

    Well that was interesting lol
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