Hear hear

Hear, hear is an expression that originated as "hear ye," or "hear him," usually repeated. This imperative was used to call attention to a speaker's words, and naturally developed the sense of a broad expression of favour. This is how it is still used today, although one can always vary one's tone to express different sentiments; the "Oxford English Dictionary" noted around the turn of the century that the phrase "is now the regular form of cheering in the House of Commons, and expresses, according to intonation, admiration, acquiescence, indignation, derision, etc." It is often incorrectly spelled "here here".

As a parliamentary cheer, "hear him, hear him!" is first recorded in the late 17th century and continued into the 19th; the reduction to "hear!" or "hear, hear!" occurred by the late 18th century. However, the use of the verb "hear" as an imperative meaning "listen!" is older: a notable example is the parliamentary-sounding "Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear" (2 Samuel 20, verse 16) in the King James Bible, first published in 1611.

Aside from the interjection, a number of other grammatical forms are found, such as "a hear, hear" (originally, of course, "a hear him" or "hear ye"), meaning 'a cheer'; "to hear-hear", meaning 'to shout "hear, hear!"'; and "hear-hearer", meaning 'a person who shouts "hear, hear!"'.

See also

*Me too
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