huh, int.
(hʌ)
A natural utterance, expressing some suppressed feeling. Also as an expression of interrogation.
| 1608 Middleton Mad World iii. ii, There's gold for thee! huh, let her want for nothing, master doctor. 1732 Fielding Miser iv. xiii, Huh! now would some lovers think them⁓selves very unhappy. 1814 Manœuvering i. i, Married! huh—is it marriage you're talking of? 1890 ‘O. Thanet’ Expiation ix. 166 A loud snort of contempt from the gallery betrayed that Hizzie had heard. ‘Huh!’ she bawled, ‘you yent gwine get killed up, not long's ye kin run!’ 1924 Dialect Notes V. 270 Huh (surp., disg., enquiry). 1937 L. B. Murphy Social Behavior & Child Personality ii. 53 Agatha said, ‘Want to play in the sand box, Theodore, huh? Do you?’ 1940 R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely xxi. 169 Pretty trivial in my case, huh? 1948 F. & R. Lockridge Pinch of Poison xvi. 151 ‘Listen, Mullins,’ Weigand pleaded. ‘Don't think, huh?’ 1953 Manch. Guardian Weekly 20 Aug. 7/2 ‘I could go back there, I mean some other time.’ ‘But not now, huh?’ 1969 K. Amis Green Man iv. 182 God's purpose. Huh. I'm no more qualified than the next man to tell you what that is. 1970 Washington Post 30 Sept. D 4/2 ‘Oh boy that's just what he needs,’ he said, cheerlessly. ‘Tell him to take it easy, huh?’ 1971 Black World Apr. 59 Hell, its all my fault, huh? 1972 Canad. Jrnl. Ling. XVII. 94 Whatever its origin and history, huh? is currently in widespread use in the United States. 1972 Southerly XXXII. 54 Because the fun part is over. They think. Huh! 1973 A. Price October Men ix. 126 ‘Huh!’ Macready snorted derisively. |