W00t

This article is about the word. For the online retailer, see Woot (retailer)

The term w00t is a slang interjection used to express happiness or excitement, usually over the Internet. The expression is most popular on forums, USENET posts, multiplayer computer games (especially first person shooters), IRC chats, and instant messages, though use on the World Wide Web is by no means uncommon.

The definite origin of the term w00t is unknown but has been seen early on in IRC chats on EFnet. One theory claims that usage of this term dates back to the mid-1990s, when it was probably derived from the alternative spellings of whoomp and whoot. These spellings are variously used in the phrases, "Whoomp, there it is," or "Whoot, there it is" from two songs in 1993 from rap groups Tag Team and 95 South, respectively. Another theory is that people started jokingly mimicking trains in childrens' books, that went "Woot! Woot!", doing so as a statement of victory, or applauding good news. (some people today say "Woot! Woot!" while making the hand-gesture of pulling a train's horn chord) Another possibility is that it came from the vocalization made by the character in games of the Quake series when a jump is performed; however, as Quake was only first released in 1996, this probably only furthered the popularity of the existing term. Others have theorized the term is an acronym for "We Owned the Other Team", or that "w00t" finds its origin in the sounds of a jubilant Daffy Duck. It has also been alleged that "w00t" is a contraction of the phrase "wonderous loot" used in Ultima Online and Everquest whenever a player found large quantities of treasure although it is uncertain if this is really the case. W00t is also somewhat like the Scots word "hoots", which is used in a similar manner—an exclamation signifying surprise, disbelief, or kindred reaction. Another supposed origin is as an expression used by a cracker (see security cracking) who has just broken into a computer system, obtaining "root" access: "woot, I have root!"

A September 06, 2004 article (free registration required) on AdAge.com indicated that the term comes "from gaming slang—the original use meant 'Wow! Loot' in Dungeons and Dragons play—and is now a common exclamation of excitement in Net culture."

w00t itself was first seen in 1994. The expression rose in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It has not reached general usage or understanding.

w00t is pronounced to rhyme with "boot" or "shoot", and can also be written as "woot", "w00+", or "w007". Some persistently argue that "w00t" is the only proper spelling. The symbolic approximation of Latin letter forms makes w00t a prime example of leet. It may also sometimes be seen spelled as "wewt."

This word was featured on the List of Merriam–Webster's Words of the Year for 2007.