Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a general excl., usu. of greeting; thus as v., to greet.

1570		Fables of Bidpai [trans.] n.p.: [H]ee resolued vpon the testimonie of the tree, and cried out. What ho, tree (three times) who hath robbed this treasure?
c.1597		Shakespeare Henry IV Pt 1 II i: What, ho! chamberlain!
1604		Shakespeare Othello I i: What ho! Brabantio!
1615		T. Tomkis Albumazar n.p.: Ron. Tick, tock, what ho! Bev. Who's that so boldly knocks?
1631		F. de Rojas The Spanish bawd 79: Calisto. What ho? Where be these men?
1641		T. Heywood The fair maid of the vvest n.p.: Spenc. Troth I dally my revenge too long, what ho, Porter.
1656		T. Stanley The history of philosophy 78: Socr. I’l call him forth; what, ho, Strepsiades; / Come out and bring your bed along with you.
1669		W. Killigrew The imperial tragedy 49: Zeno. What, ho! who guards this prison of the Dead?
1671		H. Brome London's resurrection 8: Hoyd. Zure thick is the place Ich zmell the good cheer: Chil knock at the gate then—what ho!
1680		T. Betterton The revenge 46: Dashit. Aye, aye, this must be he—Ware shaving, Sir: What ho, the Watch! the Watch!
1698		J. Lacy Sauny the Scot 22: Curt. They’r all ready, what ho, come forth here [...] where are you?
1700		T. D’Urfey Massaniello 33: Mat. But first I must disguise me in his Habit: What, ho, Lorenzo!
1751		W. Kenrick Falstaff’s Wedding (1766) V xii: What ho! the guards – the guards, I say.
1828		Lytton Pelham III 295: ‘What ho, my kiddy,’ cried Job, ‘don’t be glimflashy.’.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 140/2: He says, ‘What, ho! I wish for wine.’.
1883		‘’Arry at the Royal Evening Fête’ in Punch 28 July 38/1: ‘Just like What ho!’ a Countess remarked.
1890		Bird o’ Freedom 8 Jan. 5/4: ‘As a Watteau shepherdess!’ ‘What — oh!’ exclaimed the little man, all unconscious of the pun.
1898		J.D. Brayshaw Slum Silhouettes 215: Wot ho, Liz!’ ’Ows Cocky?
1900		Sporting Times 17 Mar. 1/4: A slop’s brother—what ho! — from the country.
c.1900		E.W. Rogers [perf. Arthur Lennard] ‘After the Show’ 🎵 Now the Music Hall is over and the 'gods' are coming out / ‘What O Billy, here, stand a “tiddlly” Ria, ’Arry!’ hear them shout.
1900		Marvel XIV:343 June 15: ‘Wotto, Sammy and Dickey!’ cried Bill, as he caught sight of ’em.
1905		H.G. Wells Kipps (1952) 180: ‘What ho!’ said he at the sight of Kipps.
1907		Lone Hand May 4: There are two attitudes in life to be avoided, the Watteau and the What-Ho. In the one niceness is carried to the point of pernicketyness; in the other robustness grows into vulgarity.
1910		Truth (Perth) 5 June 12/1: Which she do wear of a bodice / As were cut ‘a-ha-whatto!’.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Sept. 52/1: Wot-o, Cocker, Greeted enery, ow is it. Cocker was taken aback. He had expected er bit uv stouch.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 2 Aug. 9/1: They Say [...] That Georgie Bill, the chalk and water jerker [i.e. milkman], has caught a tabby at last. What oh!
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 65: What ho! What ho! What ho!
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 24: ‘What-ho!’ he warbled.
1938		X. Herbert Capricornia (1939) 128: ‘What-o,’ said Oscar. Mark got up gasping.
1942		Whizzbang Comics Frontispiece: I’ll make them all happy and then some, what-ho!
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 85: A startled ‘What ho.’.
1971		Wodehouse Much Obliged, Jeeves 14: After the initial What-ho-ing.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 23: Hello Claude and what ho Cecil!
1999		Indep. Rev. 24 Aug. 2: What ho, Sir Greg! How goes the BBC?
2000		Indep. on Sun. Rev. 23 Jan. 37: What ho! I could get used to this.
2012		Private Eye 27 July-9 Aug. 22/3: Cripes and blimey, what ho chaps.