Hi,

As a child, I remember using the following expression when saying goodbye, bye or so long. I’m Dutch, and this term must have been British English as my father introduced it from hearing it during one of many visits to England.

It could be classic English, a bad expression, something he made up or maybe local slang. I was a child when using it, so this expression was probably mixed with a dutch sound. Hope someone can help me out, as my father is not alive anymore. Here it is phonetically, and some suggestions:

Too-wra (phonetic)
tara
to ra
to wra
too wra
two ra

I cannot think of anything that could mean something.

Cheers!

Hi Eddie,

I’m not sure on this one but perhaps the following article will make sense. I’m not sure if it is what you are looking for but I thought I’d pass it along and perhaps another of our more learned users can enlighten the both of us. It is actually a discussion of the British term toodle-oo but mentions in many places tooraloo which I think is close to what you’re asking about with a similar meaning.

Phrases.org

The Aussie version can be found in a well-known ballad dating from 1893, where the second verse below is the refrain, sung after every other verse:-

Botany Bay

Farewell to old England forever
Farewell to my rum culls as well
Farewell to the well known Old Bailey
Where I used for to cut such a swell

Singing Tooral liooral liaddity
Singing Tooral liooral liay
Singing Tooral liooral liaddity
And we’re bound for Botany Bay

There’s the captain as is our commander
There’s the bosun and all the ship’s crew
There’s the first and the second class passengers
Knows what we poor convicts go through

Taint leaving old England we cares about
Taint cos we mis-spells what we knows
But because all we light fingered gentry
Hops around with a log on our toes

These seven long years I’ve been serving now
And seven long more have to stay
All for bashing a bloke down our alley
And taking his ticker away

Oh had I the wings of a turtle dove
I’d soar on my pinions so high
Slap bang to the arms of my Polly love
And in her sweet presence I’d die

Now all my young Dookies and Dutchesses
Take warning from what I’ve to say
Mind all is your own as you toucheses
Or you’ll find us in Botany Bay

Notes

First published in Sydney Golden Songster in 1893 This song is a burlesque, written by Stephens and Yardley, from the comedy ‘Little Jack Shepherd’ that played in London in 1885, and in Melbourne in 1886. ‘Botany Bay’ shares two verses with ‘Fairwell to Judges and Juries’ a broadside c.1820

I have heard Ta Ta meaning goodbye or so long many time in the US. I always thought it sounded English.

Thank you all,

It’s clear, it must have been a short version of tooraloo.

Cheers

no probs, hooroo.