Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
boomshakalaka en · INTJ
Pronunciation
- audio Great Lakes
- /ˈbuːmˌʃɑkəˌlɑkə/ (General-American)
- (Midwestern-US) audio
Etymology
Uncertain, but likely from the filler syllables boom-laka-laka-laka in the lyrics to the song “I Want to Take You Higher” (1969) by Sly and the Family Stone, which appeared as the corruption boom-shaka-laka-laka in subsequent covers; the modern shortened form boomshakalaka, as an apparent reference to “I Want to Take You Higher”, appeared in the military comedy film Stripes (1981). From there, a scriptwriter for the video game NBA Jam (1993) adopted it as onomatopoeic for a slam dunk in lines voiced by Tim Kitzrow, popularizing its use.
Meanings
-
(slang) An exclamation expressing dominance, excitement, joy, or triumph.
Forms
wikipedia: Sly and the Family Stone · wikipedia: I Want to Take You Higher
boomshakalaka en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- audio Great Lakes
- /ˈbuːmˌʃɑkəˌlɑkə/ (General-American)
- (Midwestern-US) audio
Etymology
Uncertain, but likely from the filler syllables boom-laka-laka-laka in the lyrics to the song “I Want to Take You Higher” (1969) by Sly and the Family Stone, which appeared as the corruption boom-shaka-laka-laka in subsequent covers; the modern shortened form boomshakalaka, as an apparent reference to “I Want to Take You Higher”, appeared in the military comedy film Stripes (1981). From there, a scriptwriter for the video game NBA Jam (1993) adopted it as onomatopoeic for a slam dunk in lines voiced by Tim Kitzrow, popularizing its use.
Meanings
-
(slang) The sound of a slam dunk and the board or chain rattling that follows.
Forms
wikipedia: Sly and the Family Stone · wikipedia: I Want to Take You Higher