zip-a-dee-doo-dah

English

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Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

Etymology

From a song in the Disney movie Song of the South, from “O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day”, chorus to an old minstrel song “Zip Coon” popularized by George Washington Dixon

Pronunciation

Audio (US) (file)

Interjection

zip-a-dee-doo-dah

An exclamation of happiness.
- 1946, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”, Ray Gilbert (lyrics), Allie Wrubel (music):
  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, / My oh my, what a wonderful day / Plenty of sunshine headin' my way / Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
- 1990 March, Susan Sackett, The Hollywood Reporter Book of Box Office Hits, New York: Billboard Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 60:
  Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! What a treat this movie was for kids and adults alike.
- 2000, Jim Hightower, If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates, New York: HarperCollins, →ISBN, →OL:
  If the newspapers and broadcasts are blaring “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-a/My, oh my, what a wonderful day” over and over, there’s a tendency to go down the road humming that tune, too, because you can’t get it out of your head. Are business conditions good? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!
- 2004 March 17, Donley Watt, Dancing With Lyndon, Fort Worth: TCU Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 135:
  "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," Kate said. "This is better." She held her half-empty glass up.

Usage notes

Due to the saccharine, commercial nature of its usage by Disney, this is often used sarcastically or ironically.

Adjective

zip-a-dee-doo-dah

Characteristic of such a feeling.
- 1946, Song of the South (Film), spoken by Uncle Remus (James Baskett):
  It happened on one o' dem zip-a-dee-doo-dah days. Now that's the kind of day when you can't open your mouth without a song jump right out of it.
- 1987, “(advertisement)”, in National Geographic, volume 172, page 280:
  Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah! Only one place in the world can give you that Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah feeling day after wonderful day.
- 2006 November 1, B. Elwin Sherman, Caught in the Shower Without a Pencil -- Baby Boomer Humor, And Other Maturity Problems, Lulu, →ISBN, →OL, page 36:
  Repeat after me: If you're having a zip-a-dee-doo-dah day, I don't want any part of it.

References

^ Emerson, Ken (1998 August 21) Doo~Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture, Da Capo Press, →ISBN, →OL, page 60:
In addition to its enduring incarnation as “Turkey in the Straw,” “Zip Coon,” or at least its nonsencical chorus—"O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day"—also survives in “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” from the soundtrack for Song of the South, Walt Disney’s animated version of Joel Chandler Harris’s “Uncle Remus” tales.
^ Ken Emerson, editor (2010 April 15), Stephen Foster & Co.: Lyrics of America's First Great Popular Songs‎, New York: Library of America, →ISBN, →OL, pages 30-31

[1] Emerson, Ken (1998 August 21) Doo~Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture, Da Capo Press, →ISBN, →OL, page 60:
In addition to its enduring incarnation as “Turkey in the Straw,” “Zip Coon,” or at least its nonsencical chorus—"O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day"—also survives in “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” from the soundtrack for Song of the South, Walt Disney’s animated version of Joel Chandler Harris’s “Uncle Remus” tales.

[2] Ken Emerson, editor (2010 April 15), Stephen Foster & Co.: Lyrics of America's First Great Popular Songs‎, New York: Library of America, →ISBN, →OL, pages 30-31

zip-a-dee-doo-dah

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