whoops, int.
(hwuːps, hwʊps)
[Var. of oops.]
An exclamation of dismay or surprise, usu. upon stumbling, or realizing an obvious mistake. Also ˈwhoopsie(-daisy) int. = upsidaisy.
| 1925 New Yorker 26 Sept. 8/2 (caption) Whoopsie Daisy! 1937 E. Pound Let. Jan. (1971) 287 Whoops! And do I envy you. I do. 1957 J. Kerouac On Road (1958) ii. viii. 159 Whoops, I thought I was on the wrong side of the road. 1969 C. Armstrong Seven Seats to Moon xiii. 126 The woman said, ‘Whoopsie’, and her strong hand came under his armpit. 1973 G. Talbot Ten Seconds from Now xii. 161, I was appalled at the tape playback to hear that I had punctuated my commentary by a ‘whoops!’ every minute or so. 1980 G. M. Fraser Mr American xviii. 328 ‘Whoops!’ said Pip... ‘Claridge's, eh? That's what I like to hear!’ |