Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also bally) to publicize to excess, often when the product cannot live up to the manufactured image; thus ballyhooer n., promoter, publicist; ballyhooing n., promotion.

1901		World’s Work Aug. 1100/2: Last of the professions on the Midway are those of the ‘barker’, ‘ballyhooer’ and ‘spieler’.
1903		Dly Pioneer (Bemidji, MN) 4 Nov. 3/2: John McAvoy, the ballyhooing drayman, has purchased a fine large work team to be used on his dray line.
1912		Mencken letter 12 Nov. in Bode New Mencken Letters (1977) 38: Its sheer length will scare off many reviewers and some readers. Wright will do some bally-hooing out on the coast.
1919		Wodehouse Damsel in Distress (1961) 227: ‘Did you know that Mr. Bevan was the Mr. Bevan?’ Everybody was listening now. George huddled pinkly in his chair. He had not foreseen this bally-hooing.
1929		M. Levin Reporter 154: Campaigner against frozen-mindedness, ballyhooer for evolution.
1929		R.E. Howard ‘Pit of the Serpent’ Fight Stories July 🌐 He knows your ship sails tomorrow, and he didn’t have no time for ballyhooin’.
1935		W. Coburn Law Rides the Range 158: That gyp artist he’s ballyhooing for district attorney.
1940		R. Service ‘The Ballad of Salvation Bill’ in Bar Room Ballads (1978) 605: So now I’m called Salvation Bill [...] And Ballyhoo the Bible with the best.
1942		R. Mulvey ‘Pitchman’s Cant’ in AS XVII:1 Pt 2 Apr. 90/1: bally. To, make a sales talk. ‘I was ballying my tip’ (I was making a sales talk to the crowd). ‘Bally’ is an abbreviated form of ‘Ballyhoo’.
1946		J.E. Dadswell Hey, Sucker 192: The barker gave him a great send-off; ballyhooing him as one of the great daredevil divers.
1947		S. Lewis Kingsblood Royal (2001) 159: He was the owner and chief ballyhooer of a vast shed down on South Champlain Avenue and East Winchell Street.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential xi: The whole ballyhooed binge of publicity and melodrama laughable. [Ibid.] 137: The loudest ballyhooers and the most insufferable snobs are the carpetbaggers.
1965		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 73: I’ve ballyhooed in a smalltown circus, / throughout the middle west.
1969		N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 63: He [...] ballyhooed him with more energy, more imagination than anyone was used to.
1977		Rolling Stone 22 Sept. 35: Elton John seems to be coming out of last year’s much ballyhooed ‘retirement’.
1978		N. Algren ‘Topless in Gaza’ in Entrapment (2009) 247: ‘Six French models direct from Paris,’ a skinny Puerto Rican was ballyhooing in front of the joint — ‘[...] six beautiful French models in the extreem nood!’.
2000		Indep. Rev. 5 Feb. 20: The much ballyhooed lunch.
2012		W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 ‘Ballyhoo,’ has come into general usage meaning ‘to attract the attention of customers/voters by raising a clamor’.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 17: I ballyhooed my big nights.

2. to talk (persuasive) nonsense; thus ballyhooing n. and adj., foolish.

1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 102: That boy Paul’s worth all these ballyhooing highbrows put together.
1929		(con. WW1) Hall & Niles One Man’s War 94: What the hell are you doin’ in the Boche army?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know [...] when the war broke out, the old man ballyhooed me into enlisting in the Aviation Section ’.
1932		E. Hemingway letter 28 June in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 361: Saw a publicity sheet sent out by Benjamin Hauser [...] mostly ballyhooing stuff.
1953		F. Brown Madball (2019) 7: [T]he bassdrum call to bally, try your luck, mister, pitch till you win.
1976		C. Keane Hunter 189: He was drunk and bragging and ballyhooing.

3. (US black) to enjoy oneself.

1937

K. Arnold ‘Sister Jane Cross the Hall’ 🎵 She smokes cigars an’ cigarettes too, / She don’t do nothin’ but ballyhoo.