A Complete Guide to the Meaning & Origins of Awooga

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Everything you need to know about this popular phrase & meme

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: September 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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The Meaning of Awooga

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Origins of Awooga

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Why is awooga a popular meme?

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While talking with friends or scrolling on social media, you might’ve heard people say “awooga.” This slang phrase mimics the sound of a klaxon horn and most commonly means that you find someone super attractive. If you want to learn more about this popular term, keep reading. We’ll explain what else “awooga” can mean, where it comes from, and why it’s a popular meme!

Awooga Meaning

“Awooga” replicates the sound of a klaxon horn. People say “awooga” when they see someone they’re attracted to. Saying “awooga” can also mean someone is excited or happy, or be used as a joking way to alert someone about something.

Section 1 of 3:

The Meaning of Awooga

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“Awooga” means you find someone attractive. When you spot someone jaw-droppingly stunning and swoon-worthy, you might involuntarily say, “Awooga.”^{[1]
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Research source} This onomatopoeic phrase references the cartoon trope when a character sees someone attractive, causing their eyes to pop out of their head and their heart to leap out of their chest.^{[2]
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- “Awooga! Did you see that cute guy who just walked through the door?”
- “Awooga! That girl over there is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!”
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“Awooga” can express happiness or joy. Some people use “awooga” as a celebratory phase that means they’re delighted or pleased about something. It’s similar to saying, “Yay” or “Woohoo” when you’re excited or happy.
- “Awooga! I’m so glad you can make it to my party!”
- “I passed my math test! Awooga!”
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“Awooga” can be used to draw attention to something. The “awooga” noise mimics the sound of a klaxon horn, which was commonly used as a warning siren in cars, trains, and submarines.^{[3]
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Research source} So, some people say “awooga” as a light-hearted way to alert someone about something.
- “Awooga, awooga! Your shoe is untied.”
- “Awooga! I found the missing puzzle piece.”

Section 2 of 3:

Origins of Awooga

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“Awooga” comes from the 1943 cartoon Red Hot Riding Hood. Red Hot Riding Hood is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, where Red is a popular Hollywood singer and The Wolf is a socialite. When The Wolf sees how attractive Red is, he makes the “awooga” noise, whistles, his eyes pop out, and he starts going mad with desire.^{[4]
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- The “awooga” noise, whistle, and eye-pop became a trope in animated cartoons. It’s also referenced in live-action movies, like The Mask.^{[5]
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“Awooga” was a catchphrase on the sci-fi series Red Dwarf. Red Dwarf was a 1980s British comedy sci-fi series about a group of characters traveling through space. The ship’s emergency siren sounded like “awooga,” so the noise became a running joke on the show and a catchphrase for fans.
- Craig Charles, one of the stars of Red Dwarf, used “awooga” as his catchphrase in 2 game shows he hosted later: Cyber Zone and Robot Wars.^{[6]
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In the 1990s, John Fashnu presented the British game show Gladiators. He also used “awooga” as his catchphrase, which he likely picked up from Craig Charles.^{[7]
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Section 3 of 3:

Why is awooga a popular meme?

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“Awooga” is a popular copypasta for when you see someone attractive. A copypasta is a text-based meme that people copy and paste into forum posts and social media comments. “Awooga” became a popular copypasta in the 2010s, with people commonly pasting it into posts about people and characters they think are attractive.^{[8]
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- There are several variations of the “awooga” copypasta, but one of the most popular is:
  - *jaw drops to floor, eyes pop out of sockets accompanied by trumpets, heart beats out of chest, awooga awooga sound effect, pulls chain on train whistle that has appeared next to head as steam blows out, slams fists on table, rattling any plates, bowls or silverware, whistles loudly, fireworks shoot from top of head, pants loudly as tongue hangs out of mouth, wipes comically large bead of sweat from forehead, clears throat, straightens tie, combs hair* Ahem, you look very lovely.
In the 2022 film Turning Red, the main character Mei runs past a store where her crush, Devon, is working. She stops for a moment to swoon and yells, “Awooga!” because she finds him so cute. This scene went viral and became a popular meme and catchphrase of the movie.^{[9]
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“Awooga” is also related to the phrase “hummina hummina.” This is another nonsense term that means you find someone attractive. It also has its origins in animated cartoons.^{[10]
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“Awooga” is sometimes written as “Aooga.”

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The ‘o’s in “awooga” can be elongated to express extreme infatuation, happiness, or alarm, like “awooooooga!”

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