Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. used to indicate energy.

1891

A.E. Durandeau [perf. Charles Godfrey] ‘Giddy Little Curate’ 🎵 Quite a snippy little, snappy little, chippy little, chappy little / Toodle-oodle-oo young curate.

2. goodbye, occas. hello; note use in cit. 2004 as a gesture.

1901		Worcs. Chron. 25 May 3/2: Several couples at parting said, ‘Well, toodleoo’.
1911		G.R. Sims Off the Track in London 111: When they rise and bid the old folks good-bye [...] [they] say ‘Toodle-oo’ in the cheeriest of Cockney accents.
1916		Firefly 9 Dec. 1: Tootle-oo! More next week.
1919		Wodehouse Damsel in Distress (1961) 104: ‘Well, it’s worth trying,’ said Reggie. ‘I’ll give it a whirl. Toodleoo!’.
1925		T. Thursday ‘It’s Great to be Great’ in Top-Notch Mag. 15 July 🌐 My mamma never raised no foolish children. Toodle-oo!
1926		Post (Lanarks.) 10 Jan. 8/1: Toodle-oo, old thing.
1927		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 6 Apr. 2/1: If you send your son to Eton or Christchurch he does not greet you in that way. No; he probably says, ‘Pip pip Tootle oo!’.
1928		Leeds Mercury 13 Nov. 1/2: ‘Think our son will ever say that to us? No, he will probably pip-pip toodle-oo’.
1930		K. Brush Young Man of Manhattan 175: Well, toodle-oo.
1930		L. Lower Here’s Luck 30: She whisked away, [...] waved one lily-white hand. ‘Toodle-oodle!’ she cried, and was gone .
1936		A. Christie Murder in Mesopotamia (1952) 23: ‘Toodle-oodle-oo!’ said Mr. Coleman.
1940		S. McBarron ‘Coffin Custodian’ Ten Detective Aces Apr. 🌐 Be seeing you, Moe. Blood and groans don’t help my sleep any. Toodle-oo.
1940		M. Marples (ref. to 1906) Public School Slang 88: Collinson in ‘ Contemporary English’ [...] records Pip-pip, So-long, Toodle-oo and Olive oil (=au revoir) as common eqmvalents for good-bye at Dulwich in 1906.
1952		C. Brossard Redemption in G. Feldman (ed.) Protest (1960) 120: ‘Toodle-oo, inspector,’ Renny shouted.
1958		H.E .Bates Darling Buds of May (1985) 70: ‘Toodle-oo,’ the twins said.
1960		(con. c.1928) D. Holman-Hunt My Grandmothers and I (1987) 172: Buy yourself some togs. Toodle-oo, I must go.
1965		F. Pollini Glover 136: Ha, Ha, toodooloo, pal, take it easy.
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 250: Toodle-oo.
1980		T. Jones Adrift 65: Well, toodle-oo.
1998		P. McCabe Breakfast on Pluto 132: I’ll see you darling! [...] I’ve got to go — a client! Toodle-oo!
2004		E. Weiner Drop Dead, My Lovely (2005) 78: She [...] twiddled her fingers in a facetious toodle-oo.
2012		D. O’Donnell Locked Ward (2013) 217: ‘Cheerio, Dennis.’ ‘Toodloo, Edward’.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 108: She waves toodle-oo.