cowabunga

American  

[kou-uh-buhng-guh] / ˌkaʊ əˈbʌŋ gə /

interjection

1. (a yell of exhilaration, mainly used by surfers.)

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Usage

What does cowabunga mean? Cowabunga is an interjection that expresses excitement or exhilaration, like when catching a big wave while surfing or while performing skateboarding tricks. Shouting cowabunga is roughly equivalent to shouting woo-hoo or something similar. Cowabunga is a US slang expression that is used less often these days. It seems to have premiered on the Howdy Doody TV show, spoken by Chief Thunderthud (see “Where does cowabunga come from?” below). It then became associated with first surfer culture and then skateboard (skater) culture. It was further popularized by both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons’ Bart Simpson, who would say “Cowabunga!” or “Cowabunga, dude!” as a catch phrase. Example: As she rode down the big wave, Dinah yelled out "cowabunga!" and enjoyed the ride.

Etymology

Origin of cowabunga

Of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise — featuring pizza-loving Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo —spawned a long-running animates series, live-action movies and a catchphrase: cowabunga.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2021

When it first began, it was easy to think of the show as Bart, the cowabunga dude pranking the world.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2014