"cheers and tigers"

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Herb Ludwig - 25 Oct 2006 12:50 GMT

Could you please tell me the exact meaning of this expression and
where it comes from?
"cheers and tigers"

as, for instance, in "with many rousing cheers and tigers for the good work"
This expression was used in American English starting ca. 1860

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John Hall - 25 Oct 2006 18:50 GMT

>Could you please tell me the exact meaning of this expression and
>where it comes from?
>"cheers and tigers"
>
>as, for instance, in "with many rousing cheers and tigers for the good work"
>This expression was used in American English starting ca. 1860

Possibly, but I've never heard of it, so you may have better luck asking
in a non-UK group such as alt.usage.english. It sounds as though it may
be a purely American idiom,

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John Hall

"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong."
Oscar Wilde

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Molly Mockford - 25 Oct 2006 20:44 GMT

At 18:50:07 on Wed, 25 Oct 2006, John Hall <nospam_nov03@jhall.co.uk>
wrote in <nBvYCgEPP6PFFwT$@jhall.demon.co.uk>:

>>Could you please tell me the exact meaning of this expression and
>>where it comes from?
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>in a non-UK group such as alt.usage.english. It sounds as though it may
>be a purely American idiom,

I've read it only as an American idiom, and an old-fashioned one at that
- the context was, I think, "three cheers and a tiger for [name of
team]" and I have the feeling the date in which it was set was 1920ish.
I think it must date from the early days of cheer-leaders at either
baseball or American football matches. I have no idea what a "tiger" is
in this context.

John's right, Herb - ask in an American-focussed group.

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Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

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Herb Ludwig - 25 Oct 2006 21:53 GMT

> At 18:50:07 on Wed, 25 Oct 2006, John Hall <nospam_nov03@jhall.co.uk>
> wrote in <nBvYCgEPP6PFFwT$@jhall.demon.co.uk>:
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> John's right, Herb - ask in an American-focussed group.

Thanks, Molly and John.
I did as you suggested and received this link:
http://tigernet.princeton.edu/~ptoniana/locomotive.asp

Molly, you had the correct hunch!

Herb

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Discussion Groups / British English / October 2006

"cheers and tigers"