▪ I. soho, int. and n.1
(səʊˈhəʊ)
Forms: α. 4 sohou, 5 sohowe, 5, 7 sohow; 5 so how(e, hoowe, 6 sa how, so-, soa hough. β. 4, 7– so ho (5 hoo), 6–7 sohoe, 7– so-ho, soho.
[An AF. hunting call, prob. of purely exclamatory origin.
In the Master of Game xxxiv. the simple howe also occurs, as well as he howe, here howe, and howe here. The early examples do not support the suggestion in quot. 14.. that the proper form would be sa how.]
1. A call used by huntsmen to direct the attention of the dogs or of other hunters to a hare which has been discovered or started, or to encourage them in the chase; hence used as a call to draw the attention of any person, announce a discovery, or the like.
| α 1307 in Bain Calendar (1884) II. 539 [On a seal, a hare in her form, with motto] Sohou, Sohou. c 1410 Master of Game xxxiv. (MS. Digby 182), And þenne he shall say thryes, so howe, and no more. 14.. Venery de Twety in Reliq. Antiq. I. 154 Sohow is moche to say as sahow, for because that it is short to say, we say al wey sohow. c 1485 E. Eng. Misc. (Warton Cl.) 44 The furst mane that me doth fynde, Anon he cryit,—So howe! So hoowe! Lo! he sayth, where syttyt an haare! 1576 Turberv. Venerie 177 Sa how sayeth one, as soone as he me spies. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iii. i. 189 Lau. So-hough, Soa hough. Pro. What seest thou? Lau. Him we goe to finde. |
| β 13.. K. Alis. 3712 (Laud MS.), So ho! so ho! We ben awroke of dogges two! c 1475 Hunt. Hare 133 (W.), The yomon rode and cryed: ‘So hoo!’ And putte the hare vp with his boo. 1486 Bk. St. Albans e v b, And then So ho so ho, thries and no mo. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. ii. iv. 136 Mer. A baud. So ho. Rom. What hast thou found? Mer. No Hare sir. 1629 Massinger Picture v. i, Hilario (holds up a piece of bread). So ho! birds! 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. (1900) 279 Mr. Great-heart called after him, saying, Soho, Friend, let us have your Company. 1740–2 Richardson Pamela III. 312 He ran to the Window, and..said Hollo—So-ho—Groom—.. Get me my Horse! 1811 Sporting Mag. XXXIX. 142 The hills shall re-echo—Soho! 1822 Shelley Calderon's Mag. Prodig. i. 48 Soho! Livia, I come; good sport, Livia, soho! 1859 Dickens T. Two Cities i. ii, ‘So-ho,’ the guard sang out, as loud as he could roar. |
b. As n.
| a 1572 Dk. Norfolk's Laws Coursing in Markham Country Contentm. i. vii. (1664) 43 The hare-finder should give the hare three so-hows before he put her from her Lear. [Hence in Holme and later works.] c 1589 Whip for an Ape in Lyly's Wks. (1902) III. 418 Such sohoes, whoopes and hallowes. 1611 Cotgr., Reclame, a Sohoe, or Heylaw; a lowd calling, whooting, or whooping to make a Hawke stoope vnto the Lure. 1834 Thacker Courser's Comp. I. 167 The person who finds the hare sitting should give a clear so-ho. |
2. = soh int. 1.
| 1825 Scott Talism. ix, So ho! a goodly fellowship come to see Richard take his leap in the dark. 1885 Bompas Frank Buckland's Life 330 ‘So ho,’ I said, ‘my theories are right’. |
3. = soh int. 2. (See also quot. 1833.)
| 1832 Lytton Eugene A. iii. iii, Soho, Jacobina, soho, gently, girl, gently. 1833 in Youatt Dog iii. (1845) 96 When the old dog makes a point, the master calls out, ‘Down!’ or ‘Soho!’ and holds up his hand. |
▪ II. soˈho, v.
Also so-ho.
[f. soho int.]
1. intr. To shout or cry ‘soho!’ Hence soˈhoing vbl. n.
| 1599 Porter Angry Wom. Abingt. iv. iii, Here's so-ho-ing with a plague! 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. (1863) 186 Even May, the most sagacious of greyhounds,..would as soon listen to Tom sohoing as to old Tray giving tongue. |
2. trans. To announce the discovery or starting of (a hare) by this shout.
| 1834 Thacker Courser's Comp. I. 150 When a hare is found sitting, she ought to be so-ho'd. 1887 Field 5 Feb. 160/3 A third hare was sohoed near the river-side. |