booyakasha

Meanings

1. Used to express triumph, normally if trying to appear "gangsta".
2. Expressing amazement, enthusiasm, or joy.

Etymology

Of unclear origin, although many spurious theories exist. Possibly of Jamaican origin, as an extended form of boo-ya. Intended as a simulation of a shotgun blast and used in hip-hop, e.g. "Keep Their Heads Ringin’" by Dr Dre (1995) and before that by Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. in the late 1980s. "Booyaka" appears in Shabba Ranks's "Ting a Ling". It was used by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for his character Ali G during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2012 with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the character Michelangelo replaced his famous cowabunga catchphrase with booyakasha, popularizing the phrase and removing much of the "gangsta" connotation. It was replaced due to Greg Cipes, Michelangelo's voice actor, ad libbing it in the first recording session for the show and executive desire to make the franchise seem more contemporary for a 2010s audience. Cipes says that it comes from Irish and means "all praise to the most high, or basically all glory to love", assumedly referring to buíochas, though most linguists doubt this and say this is folk etymology.