three cheers for

Idioms  

1. Good for, hurrah for, congratulations to, as in Three cheers for our mayor! Hip, hip, hooray! Why one should shout one's encouragement or approbation three times rather than two or four is unclear. A shouted cheer presumably originated as a nautical practice, if we are to believe Daniel Defoe in Captain Singleton (1720): “We gave them a cheer, as the seamen call it.” Three cheers was first recorded in 1751. The term is also used sarcastically, when one is not really offering congratulations, as in So you finally passed; well, three cheers for you.

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Example Sentences

And three cheers for those Van Nuys players recruited out of P.E. class.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025

Zeibert reported “the place went mad” when team owner Edward Bennett Williams jumped on a chair and led three cheers for the NFC champions.

From Washington Post • Dec. 30, 2022

During Thursday's ceremony, members of the Royal Company took off their hats and performed three cheers for the Queen.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2022

But the oaf from Park Slope really deserves three cheers for using his lame-duck months to blaze an appropriately aggressive trail on this issue.

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2021

“And three cheers for Constance,” said Mr. Benedict, then grew thoughtful as the others cheered and Constance blushed.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart