A cheerful exclamation used as a greeting or farewell, especially in British English; variant of 'cheerio.'
From 'cheer' plus '-o,' a diminutive suffix creating an exclamation. 'Cheerio' (and 'cheero') emerged in early 20th-century British English, possibly influenced by Italian '-o' endings or similar diminutive patterns.
The '-o' ending in British exclamations like 'cheerio' and 'ta-ta' gives them a bouncy, friendly feeling that the '-y' versions don't quite capture—it's why 'cheerio' sounds more whimsical than 'cheerily said goodbye.'
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