Tally-ho

2025-05-04T17:35:01Z

96.232.31.43: /* United States */

{{Short description|Traditional English hunting cry}}
{{Other uses|Tally Ho (disambiguation)}}
{{wiktionary|tallyho}}
[[File:Tipperaryfoxhoundsfield.png|thumb|Huntsman and [[Master of Fox Hounds|Master]] leading the [[Fethard, County Tipperary|Tipperary]] foxhounds between draws]]
'''Tally-ho''' is the traditional cry made by the huntsman to tell others the [[Game (hunting) |quarry]] has been sighted. It may also be used with directions, including "away" and "back".

First used in [[fox-hunting]], it was adapted in the 19th century to describe some horse-drawn vehicles and in the 20th century to advise of enemy aircraft and space junk.

==Etymology==
Tally-ho dates from around 1772, and is probably derived from the French ''taïaut'', a cry used to excite hounds when hunting deer.<ref name=Merriam>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tallyho "Merriam-Webster Dictionary - Tallyho"]. ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary''. Referenced May 19, 2008.</ref>

Taïaut may have originated in the second half of the 13th century by the concatenation of a two-word war-cry: ''taille haut'', where "''taille''" is the cutting edge of a sword and "''haut''" means high or 'raised up'. So the original meaning might be something close to "Swords up!".<ref name=CNRTL>
[http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/ta%C3%AFaut cnrtl.fr], ''Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales'', "''Taïaut''" {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

==Usage==
[[File:Horse and Rider.jpg|thumb|120px]]

===Fox-hunting===
The cry was made by the [[Fox hunting#People|huntsman]] on catching sight of the fox to alert other members of the hunt. It has been used in similar circumstances for quite different quarries:

===RAF===
It was used by [[RAF]] [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] pilots in the [[Second World War]] to tell their controller they were about to engage enemy aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/history-royal-air-force-raf-history-facts-ww2-world-war-two-when-begin-founded/ |title=Moustaches, Cossacks and an inland lighthouse: A brief history of the Royal Air Force}}</ref>

It was also used to announce to the squadron leader (or other person of command in the flight) the spotting of an enemy aircraft.

===Royal Navy===
The [[British T-class submarine]] [[HMS Tally-Ho|HMS ''Tally-Ho'']] was named after the hunting cry. It is the only vessel to bear the name. It was launched in 1942 and scrapped in 1967.

===NASA===
"Tally-ho" is also used by [[NASA]] astronauts in audio transmissions to signify sightings of other spacecraft, space stations, and unidentified objects.<ref>{{cite news |last = Harwood |first = William |title = Endeavour arrives at the International Space Station |publisher = Spaceflight Now |date = 2002-06-07 |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/sts111/020607dock/ |accessdate = 2008-11-17 }}</ref>
[[File:John Charles Maggs - The Mail Coach.jpg|thumb|140px|1884]]

===Horse-drawn vehicles===
A fast [[stagecoach]] named ''Tally-ho'' plied the {{convert|125|mi|km}} between [[London]] and [[Birmingham]] from 1823. The coach was operated by [[Sarah Mountain]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Gerhold |first=Dorian |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47563 |title=Mountain, Sarah Ann (1769/70–1842), coach and inn proprietor |date=2004-09-23 |volume=1 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/47563|isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}</ref> Other fast coaches began to use the same name and it became a common description of a fast coach.<ref>Tally-ho, noun, 2a. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' online accessed 31 March 2018</ref>

====United States====
[[File:Tally Ho Stage, White Mountains, NH.jpg|thumb|left|A Tally-ho coach in New Hampshire]]
[[File:Tally-Ho by Briggs Carriage Co Amesbury Massachusetts (cropped).jpg|thumb|A Tally-ho built in Amesbury, Massachusetts]]
In the United States, "tally-ho" can describe a large [[Coach (carriage)|coach]] or a light passenger vehicle without roof or sides used for sight-seeing.<ref>Tally-ho, noun, 2b. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' online accessed 31 March 2018</ref>
{{-}}
"Tally-ho!" is also the catchphrase of the titular character from the PBS Kids show [[Nature Cat|Nature Cat]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{wikt|tallyho}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tally-Ho}}
[[Category:English phrases]]
[[Category:Hunting with hounds]]
[[Category:Fox hunting]]
[[Category:History of the Royal Air Force during World War II]]

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Tally-ho