Learn English – Etymology of the phrase “Twenty-three Skidoo” as used in “Hey Arnold!”

etymologyexpressionsmeaningmeaning-in-contextphrases

The phrase “Twenty-Three Skidoo” has a very interesting and mysterious history described very thoroughly by the wikipedia article on the phrase.

However, this article seems to indicate it’s usually used as a phrase to mean “Let’s get out of here in a hurry!”

The place where I have heard this expression used first, and most firmly in my memory, is from an episode of “Hey Arnold!”, involving the passing of a comet, and the declaration, upon seeing it, of said phrase.

This confuses me, and a number of my friends who have seen this show, since it seems to suggest a very positive or excited expression, when the actual expression seems to be one of fear or distress.

So where does this more positive use of the phrase come from? And is there a more definite origin of “Twenty-Three Skidoo” that goes unmentioned by the wiki article?

Best Answer

Here's a reference from The Wars of the Godly (Reuben Maury, 1928)

...it will remain alive as a jewel of American folklore until the word Mac shall go to join "Twenty- three, skidoo!" and "O you kid!" in the junk shop of the American argot.

As that clearly indicates, the expression was considered passé even then. In actual fact, prevalence peaked during/after WW2, but since it's really just a fairly uncommon "catchphrase" (that seems to be enjoying another revival today) it doesn't necessarily have a clear or consistent meaning.

As the Wikipedia article says, it generally has associations with the concept of [leaving] quickly, which means it's perfectly credible for someone to come out with it in a context where they mean something like "Wow! That was really fast!"

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