Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1762-1952
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HULLABALOO, n. Also hulli(e)-, -y-; hal(l)a-, hally-, hallo(w)-, halloo-; hilli(e)-, hilly-, hille-; hollo(w)-; -bal(l)oo, -bal(l)ow, -ballou; -bul(l)oo, -bul(l)ow, -bullie; -beloo, -belew; -paloo, -phallu (Sh.); -bul(l)eerie, hulleeballoo, and shortened forms hall(y)ie (Abd. 1825 Jam.). An uproar, a clamour, a noisy disturbance. Now St.Eng. but orig. from Sc. and n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1762 Smollett Sir L. Greaves (1783) vii.:
I would there was a blister on this plaguy tongue of mine, for making such a hollow-ballow.Sc. 1793 Tam Thrum Look before ye Loup 10:
Whaten a hilly-ballow's this amang ye?Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xxiv.:
The laughing, daffing, and hullabaloo that they were making.Rxb. 1875 N. Elliott Nellie Macpherson 141:
If the auld man draps in here, there will be a bonnie hullibaleerie.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 27:
A terr'ble hullabaloo got up at the ither end of the table.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 27:
I sanna kick up a hulla-baloo aboot Geordie or ony idder body.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 36:
Wi da halapaloo o' da folk, an' da yarmin' o' da yows an' lambs, deil wird could I mak' oot.Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 40:
"That's the news deun, an' I herdly hard a word o' id for the hulleeballoo thoo wur all keekin' up. ... "
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"Hullabaloo n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/hullabaloo>
