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Hurrah’s Nest

The grandmother of a woman in Council Bluffs, Iowa, says tousled hair looks like a hoorah’s nest. Also spelled hurrah’s nest or hooraw’s nest, this means “an untidy mess” or “a commotion.” Its origin is uncertain. In 1829, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described someone as having a head like a hurra’s nest. The term’s origin is obscure, although it might have to do with the nest of an imaginary creature. This is part of a complete episode.

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  • First thing that came to mind when listening to this discussion was Texas Ranger La Boeuf’s retort to Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit”: “You’ve been hoorah-ed by a little girl!”

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