Etymology and Origins
“Ooh” is likely to derive from a stand-up comedy routine performed by Stewart Lee. The routine consists of Lee discussing the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy with a specific focus on the handling of the controversy by Russell Brand, presenter of the Celebrity Big Brother spin-off show Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
“When Martin Luther King [Jr.] saw racism in 1960s America, Martin Luther King called it out in the strongest, most visionary, yet eloquent terms possible [...] and when Russell Brand saw racism in his place of work, yeah, Big Brother, Russell Brand said, ‘ooh’.” [1]
As Velastín and M-G are known to be fans of Lee, it is unclear who first brought the clip to the attention of the group and/or who began to initiate the use of “ooh” in their regular interactions.
Usage
“Ooh” is deployed regularly among the trio and in a variety of ways. “Ooh” is commonly used both when the trio are all together and when members of the trio meet as pairs.
“Ooh” is often used as a greeting among the trio. In this instance it is delivered at short length and in a mid-to-high range of voice. The term can also be used variously as a term of consternation, agreement, enjoyment, or simply as a way to irritate other member(s) of the group. In the latter instance, “ooh” is generally lengthened out significantly and delivered at the upper-end of the speaker’s register, with repetitions common. If this latter instance of “ooh” occurs when the trio are together in a group, it is not uncommon for the third member of the trio to join in with saying “ooh” in an attempt to cause further annoyance to the non-speaker.
See Also
Lilt
Spinning
Fred M-G
ariane