attaboy! excl.
(orig. US) a general excl. of admiration and encouragement.
![]() | Cornhill Mag. CIL 149: The Emir [...] rushed from the tent, with a low exhortation of ' Attaboy, Bud! Bust him up! | |
![]() | Foundry L 331/3: Attaboy, but keep your nose off the grindstone. | |
![]() | Amer. Mag. May 40/2: Back of Chance’s war cries, ‘At-a-boy’, or ‘Now ye’re pitching’, may be hidden a whole command to his team . | |
![]() | Taking the Count 167: A glove thudded [...] into the unarmored region known as the pit of the stomach. ‘Thatta boy!’ howled the Cricket. ‘Downstairs!’. | ‘No Business’ in|
![]() | Coll. Short Stories (1941) 49: ‘Yatta boy!’ says Carey. ‘Congratulations!’. | ‘Alibi Ike’ in|
![]() | Wash. Times (DC) 19 Mar. 14/2: Thattaboy! Thattaboy! | |
![]() | Topeka State Jrnl (KS) 19 Apr. 8/3: Yah-ha! Attaboy! Attaboy! Pitch to me kid — put her there! | |
![]() | N.Y. Tribune 6 Aug. 5/4: ‘Attagirl!’ Camille Sabie [...] hurdler of the track team. | |
![]() | Fighting Blood 42: ‘Attaboy!’ says Spence, slapping the counter. | |
![]() | Manhattan Transfer 311: Now give me a real kiss sweetest. Thataboy. | |
![]() | Lost Plays of Harlem Renaissance (1996) 58: More hooch, eh? Atta baby! | Yellow Peril in Hatch & Hamalian|
![]() | Sex (1997) I ii: Wrap yourself around this. Atta girl. | |
![]() | Hooch! 194: ‘Thatta baby,’ Flenger grunted. | |
![]() | Broadway Melody 40: ‘I’m just — s-so h-h-happ-ppy!’ ‘Attababes.’. | |
![]() | Iron Man 227: Atta boy, Coke [...] Give ’em what they end, kid. | |
![]() | (con. 1920s) Studs Lonigan (1936) 369: ‘Thataboy, Studs,’ said Phil Rolfe. | Young Manhood in|
![]() | Call It Sleep (1977) 344: Atta kid! Aintchoo goin’ dough [...] Atta kid! | |
![]() | Stevedore II iii: Atta girl, sugar! Hot mama! | |
![]() | Mildred Pierce (1985) 376: ’Atta girl! | |
![]() | Bulldog Drummond Stands Fast 33: ‘Attagirl!’ said Algy. | |
![]() | Harder They Fall (1971) 205: Attaboy, cut him down to your size! | |
![]() | Dead Ringer 109: ‘Attababy,’ I said. | |
![]() | One Lonely Night 28: Attaboy, buddy! | |
![]() | Popular Detective May 🌐 ‘Okay. Two Fundador, right away.’ ‘Attakeed.’. | ‘The Kiss and Tell Murders’|
![]() | Affairs of Gidget 112: ‘Atta girl!’ yelled Ollie. | |
![]() | Down These Mean Streets (1970) 232: ‘This is a stick-up.’ His voice sounded like bombs falling. Attaboy, Danny. | |
![]() | The Same Old Grind 118: ‘Atta girl,’ said Max. | |
![]() | Tales of the City (1984) 197: ‘Attaboy!’ said Herbert Tolliver. | |
![]() | Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 10: Attagirl / that’s how I like to see you chat. | |
![]() | A-Team 2 (1984) 155: ‘Atta boy, Driver!’ one of his companions rooted. | |
![]() | Blue Highways 154: Loud and cocky, he cried out, ‘Attabaybee!’. | |
![]() | Mad Cows 67: ‘Atta girl!’ Mamma Joy enthused. | |
![]() | Indep. Rev. 6 July 2: Attaboy. Good luck. | |
![]() | Lament of Mohini 18: Atta boy, that’s it, you’re doing fine, go to it! | |
![]() | Finders Keepers (2016) 15: ‘I would like a little support here.’ ‘Maybe even an attaboy.’ ‘Atta-baby,’Tom said. |