Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also hallo! halloa! halloo! hillo! hollo! holloa! holloe! hullo! hulloa!) a general excl. of surprise and disbelief, I don’t believe this! what’s happening?

1796		F. Reynolds Fortune’s Fool II ii: Holloe! — What’s to pay?
1819		W. Oxberry Actress of All Work 10: Hallo! – where’s this quiz of a manager?
1820		J. Poole Paul Pry III ii: Hollo! a robbery.
1829		‘The New Police’ in Bell’s Life in London 25 Oct. 2/5: Hollo! New Police [...] Who would e’er suppose, / In such handsome rigging / [...] / Men would go a prigging?
1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 202: Holloa, my fine fellows, where are you going to? [Ibid.] 207: But, hallo! as I live here is my old friend Jared Steele.
1851		Lewisburg Chron. (PA) 30 Apr. 1/4: My chop. Hello! What’s this? Bacon again? Oh, pooh! zounds — compound it — dash it —hang it — I can’t stand this!
1858		F.W. Farrar Eric I 121: Halloa! here’s a rumpus! [Ibid.] 134: ‘Hallo!’ said Russell, looking at his watch, ‘it’s half-past six.’.
1862		Capt. Clutterbuck’s Champagne 193: ‘Hillo, by Jove, what’s that?’ exclaimed the youth.
1865		H.L. Williams Joaquin 131: Hullo! what in ’ell’s this ’ere chap?
1866		Wild Boys of London I 123/1: ‘Hollo!’ said Sam, stopping suddenly, ‘here’s a luxury!’.
1874		E.K. Wood Johnny Ludlow I 110: ‘Halloa!’ cried Tod. ‘Here’s fun!’.
1877		A. Pinkerton Mollie Maguires and the Detectives 114: Halloo! here’s the doctor!
1880		Henley & Stevenson Deacon Brodie I tab.I iv: Hullo! it’s a man!
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 96: By-and-by says I, ‘Hel-lo, Jim, looky yonder!’.
1885		J.S. Borlase Blue Cap, the Bushranger 51/1: Hallo! what’s that?
1886		M.E. Kennard Girl in the Brown Habit I 58: Hulloa, my man! that’s a pretty smart one you’ve got there.
1889		B. Mitford Fire Trumpet III 20: Hallo; here’s a book!
1899		C.J.C. Hyne Further Adventures of Captain Kettle 143: ‘Hullo,’ said Sheriff, ‘what’s that mean?’.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Dec. 31/4: Poor Brown thought ‘Hullo!’ when he came home to tea, / ‘I’m afraid there’s a bit of a storm on.’.
1908		Queenslander 22 Feb. 44/3: Hallo! Laura Fantome! By Jove!
1917		‘Henry Handel Richardson’ Aus. Felix (1971) 231: Hullo! Here’s something that will interest you, my dear.
1921		D.L. Sayers Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1977) 127: Hallo! Here’s a writing I seem to recognise.
1934		P. Allingham Cheapjack 240: Hullo! The Whizz Mob is here.
1941		Picture Post 4 Jan. 9: Hallo! There is a commotion out the back.
1956		J. Curtis Look Long Upon a Monkey 100: Soon as she’s come in here, I’ve only thought to meself, hallo, hallo, couldn’t half charver you, gel.
1980		T. Lewis GBH 110: ‘Any idea where she lives?’ ‘Hello,’ Howard says. ‘No, I don’t mean that,’ I lied.
1988		Galton & Simpson Best of Steptoe and Son 4: He chose the 1955 La Tâche, rather than the house red, we thought to ourselves ‘Allo, Allo!’ [...] meaning ‘Aye, aye, what’s he after then?’.
1994		Eble Campus Sl. Apr.
2000		Guardian Space 13 Apr. 18: I thought, ‘Hallo,’ like you do, and bunked off quick.
2000		P. Earley Super Casino 164: ‘Everything now is patterned after Disneyland, but Las Vegas isn’t Disneyland. Hello? Is anyone listening?’.
2024		C. Stella Joey Piss Pot 3: The two friends stared at one another for a long moment. ‘Hello?’ Joseph said.

2. a general response to someone making a comment; there is no inference of greeting.

1901		Monroe & Northup ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:iii 141: hello, interj. In phrase ‘hello, yourself’.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 4: ‘I say, Bertie.’ ‘Hello.’.

3. (US teen) a dismissive excl., implying that the individual at whom it is aimed should stop talking foolishly, or saying things in which they patently do not believe.

1985		Back to the Future [film script] Hello, hello, anybody home? Think, McFly, think.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 226: Something she should have realized after reading Sheila Kitzinger’s infamous claim that giving birth is the ultimate orgasm. Hel-lo?
2001		Sydney Morning Herald (Aus.) 6 Jan. n.p.: So here’s a tentative guide to Sydney teenspeak: [...] Hellloooo? (Are you totally idiotic?).
2007		J. Stahl ‘Pure’ in Love Without 163: What kind of dude shaves his pubeys? Hello!

4. (US campus) an expression of agreement, sympathy.

1998

Eble Campus Sl. Apr.

5. (Aus.) used by a young woman to announce the sight of an attractive man.

2001

Sydney Morning Herald (Aus.) 6 Jan. n.p.: So here’s a tentative guide to Sydney teenspeak: [...] Hello! (l’ve just spotted a cute guy).