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attagirl
[ at-uh-gurl ]
interjection
- (used as an enthusiastic expression of encouragement or approval to a girl, woman, or female animal.)
yĐÄvlog History and Origins
Example Sentences
Better yet, these personal-best and attagirl bromides offer the advantage of being apolitical, and Trump is nothing if not practiced in the art of generic, apolitical speech â a fact that John Oliver has shrewdly observed.
He sent her notes, including an attagirl scrawled across her picture in The New York Times Magazine .
Send an âattaboyâ or âattagirlâ to the kid who does one tiny thing thatâas part of a chain of eventsâhelped make the big play happen.
Approached in a grocery store by a little old lady who asked whether she helped with that shuttle, Hanback thought she was about to get a sweet, neighborly âattagirl.â
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More About Attagirl
What doesĚýattagirl mean?
Attagirl is an informal expression of enthusiastic praise or encouragement addressed to girls, women, and female animals (such as oneâs dog).
Attagirl is an interjection, meaning itâs a term used to express emotion, often outside of a sentence.
The term attaboy can be used in the same way to address boys, men, and male animals.
Such terms are generally used as a way to cheer someone on, similar to saying âGreat job!â or âWay to go!â For example, coaches or parents might say it to a child playing a sport after theyâve done something particularly good.
Attagirl is sometimes used as a noun referring to a statement of praise, as in The boss doesnât usually give out attagirls like that, so she must be pretty impressed.ĚýĚý
Example: Attagirl, Sarah! Great catch!
Where doesĚýattagirl come from?
The first records of attagirl come from the early 1900s, around the same time as attaboy. Both terms were first and are primarily used in the U.S. The first part of the word is thought to be a shortened form of thatâs a or thatâs the, but itâs origin isnât certain.
A similar phrase is Thatâs my girl! Obviously, this is said by parents, typically as a form of expressing pride in their daughter and something she has accomplished. Attagirl can imply this pride, but itâs primarily a way of cheering someone on, and that person doesnât have to be the speakerâs daughter. Although the word girl appears inside the word, it can also refer to womenâor even animals, especially dogs, as in Sit, Lassie. Attagirl!
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to attagirl?
- attagirls (plural noun)
What are some synonyms for attagirl?
- great job
- good job
- way to go
- well done
What are some words that share a root or word element with attagirl?Ěý
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What are some words that often get used in discussing attagirl?
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How isĚýattagirl used in real life?
Attagirl is always used informally. Itâs perhaps most commonly used by parents to cheer on their daughters during sports.
My girl barreled this one up!
Video cred:
â Jarrod Bitter (@JarrodBitter48)
Attagirl Ellie!! đđťđđť
â Leadership Kingsport (@KptLeadership)
Oh they don't slobber all over you with grand praise, but they don't lie just to boost your feelings either. The only time you get an attaboy/attagirl is if you've genuinely done well. And that matters. A lot.
â đ´ââ ď¸Liam Bean #VetsRESIST #BidenHarris2020đ´ââ ď¸ (@LiamMcBaen)
Try usingĚýattagirl!
Is attagirl used correctly in the following sentence?
Attagirl, Tinaânow youâre getting the hang of it!
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