Rah

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This article is about a slang term. For other meanings, see RAH (disambiguation).

Rah is a term with multiple meanings. It may be a word used for cheering shortened from hurrah. It may also be a derogatory British English slang term for a young upper/upper-middle-class person.

1 Sports cheer
2 Derogatory British slang
3 Alternative names
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Sports cheer

The word may originate from an impersonation of the affected pronunciation of the word 'yes' as 'yah', or a shortening of the exclamation 'hurrah'.^[1] Other possible rah speech probabilities are the stereotypical posh use of the word 'rather' and the rah's laugh being 'Rah ha ha'

It may also be a shortening of "Hoorah Henry".^{[citation needed]} Rugby union fans, or even the game itself, are sometimes known as "rah rah" ^[2] ^[3] ^[4]. The term may derive from an application of this usage.

It is said in many quarters to come from the cheers the supporters of the old public school Radley College, who, when supporting at sports fixtures, shout "rah-rah-radley!" Rah int. and sb. U.S. apethic for Hurrah. Citation 1894 # Rah-rah adj. vith hyphens pertaining to college and collegiate. ^[5]

[edit] Derogatory British slang

"Rah" does not have wide currency outside of British universities and amongst the older students at some British private and grammar schools. Its use is generally limited to universities that have larger contingents of privately educated students. Prominent examples are the universities of Cambridge, Durham, Newcastle, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Edinburgh, Oxford, St Andrews and the Royal Agricultural College. It is possible the term is not so widely used elsewhere because cores of wealthy, privileged students are less visible and less likely to form in universities based in large, socially diverse cities.

[edit] Alternative names

"Yah" is used in some Scottish university cities, such as Edinburgh and St Andrews, and its etymology is the typical way in which this social group say "yah" instead of "yes".