i've read in quite alot of books this phrase, but i never quite understood what it means.
2006-10-26 02:07:43 · 16 answers · asked by premiumcarrot 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
would be great if you could provide sentences with this phrase
2006-10-26 02:08:22 · update #1
It's short for "that a boy" I think,
I think It just means, "there ya go" or "that's the spirit!"
It's more a response than a statement by itself.
someone would say, "After careful consideration, I think I'll go anyway"
and the response would be:
"at ta boy!".
It's an exclamation which is sort of old hat.
That is the reason you will see it in literature and old movies. It's not really used anymore.
2006-10-26 02:09:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Atta Boy
2016-09-29 09:24:09 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
atta boy, well atta is really not a word i would use, it sounds very illiterate. It would i believe be thought of as slang.
But it would mean good job, or way to go or something to that effect. Good luck. God bless
2006-10-26 02:24:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I always thought its etymology is like-----
Hinglish( Hindi-English) to English-English to American English.
The atta in "Atta boy" could be derived from "Achha", which means good in Hindi, So some "Pucca sahib" learnt a lil' bit of " Hindustani" in India during the "Raj" era, and used it in England, thus starting a new term.
It is Used to encourage or express approval (to a man or boy), according to wordweb.
MODIFY:
Sentence usage:
Child-Yes mom, I cleaned my room.
Mom-Atta boy!
2006-10-26 02:31:41 · answer #4 · answered by shrek 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
what does "atta boy" mean?
i've read in quite alot of books this phrase, but i never quite understood what it means.
2015-05-03 19:23:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it comes from cricket stiff upperlip." Not done old boy" for a dirty trick, "atta boy" is the opposite. That is were I hear it most often.
2006-10-26 08:54:14 · answer #6 · answered by paradise islander 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am an old person, and my grandparents used to say "That's the boy". I think it means "That's the boy I want you to be". It has been shortened to Atta Boy. Or if you're Flava Flave, "Yeahhhh Boi".
2006-10-26 02:15:33 · answer #7 · answered by Kacky 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
what does "atta boy" mean?
i've read in quite alot of books this phrase, but i never quite understood what it means.
2015-08-18 15:07:31 · answer #8 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is an abbreviated phrase for "That a boy"...although I don't see where it's that much shorter.
Just another way of saying "way to go" basically.
2006-10-26 02:10:06 · answer #9 · answered by secret_oktober_girl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can mean "good Job"
1) Atta boy on get that big accounting job.
2006-10-26 02:12:43 · answer #10 · answered by danicolegirl 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋