etymology - Why "tickety-boo"?


I heard myself saying something was "tickety-boo", meaning good, successful, or satisfactory. Does anyone know where this strange-sounding phrase originated?



Answer



ठीकहैंबाबू (tikai bābū) means "Yes, sir" in Hindi.



[EDIT]
The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang



tickety-boo adjective fine, correct, in order, satisfactory. Originally military; a variation of 'ticket', as in just the ticket (correct), with Hindu [Hindi, —ed.] tikai babu (it's all right, sir) UK 1939.



The proper Hindi phrase is ठीक हैं बाबू /theak hai, babu/ (Okay, Sir) —ed.


The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang By Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor, Tom Dalzell; Routledge. (c); see: GoogleBooks


See also:
on phrases.org
Dalya Goldberger, 'Origins' on writersblock.ca


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