Rude, loud, or uncultured people; rowdy individuals who behave badly in public.
Coined by Jonathan Swift in his 1726 novel 'Gulliver's Travels,' where Yahoos are brutish, uncivilized creatures. The term became adopted into English to describe any uncouth or crude person.
Jonathan Swift invented the word 'yahoo' to describe savage creatures in his fantasy novel, and over 300 years later, Yahoo! chose it as their internet search company name—proving that fictional insults can have very long afterlives!
In *Gulliver's Travels*, Yahoos were depicted as brutish, inferior beings; the term became a racial slur and dehumanizing label, often applied to non-European populations and lower classes.
Avoid as a descriptor for people or groups. Use only in literary reference to Swift's text, or the internet company name. Use 'ruffians,' 'louts,' or 'rowdy people' instead.
["ruffians","louts","hooligans","troublemakers"]
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