While several Ole Miss traditions have gone the way of the dinosaur, one that continues to thrive from generation to generation is the use of the words “Hotty Toddy.”
Whether it’s the two words often used as a familiar signature to end emails or phone conversations or the chant shouted in response to the question “Are you ready?” at athletic events,one thing is for certain: Hotty Toddy and Ole Miss are inseparable.
The origins of the phrase remain a mystery. There’s no concrete answer that explains what “Hotty Toddy” truly means. Some speculate that it was developed after the Virginia Tech Regimantal Band called The Highty Tighties, derived from a cheer used throughout World War II, associated with the description of a warm alcoholic drink or a term referred to the perceived sentiment of the Ole Miss student body.
Actually as an Ole Miss reference, the first documented evidence of the phrase (then written as “Heighty! Tighty!”) appeared in the Nov. 19, 1926 copy of the Mississippian. That day, the following words appeared:
Ever since, the cheer (with slightly differing spelling in the opening line) has been passed down by Rebel fans. ESPN’s Doug Ward wrote, “’Hotty Toddy’ is the spirit of Ole Miss,” which extends much farther than the Grove and at athletics. It only takes seeing an Ole Miss logo or design on a shirt, hat, etc. for two fellow Rebels to exchange “hotty toddy” to one another.
“Hotty Toddy” has also become synonymous with Ole Miss among the national media. ESPN’s SportsCenter, Erin Anderson, former Miss America Nina Davuluri and former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney have all tweeted it at least once in recent years. Celebrities like Russell Crowe, Snoop Dogg, Betty White, Sandra Bullock, Jack Black and others have lead the cheer via recorded video messages played in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before Ole Miss football games.
Here’s what Ole Miss students had to say about “Hotty Toddy” a few years ago:
What is known is that 'Hotty Toddy' became a chant popular among the student body in the mid-1920s. The first known publishing of the chant was by the university's student newspaper The Mississippian, now known as The Daily Mississippian, on November 19, 1925.
This is a way to say hello to a fellow Ole Miss fan no matter where you are. It can also mean “goodbye,” “good luck,” “good game,” “we're better than y'all,” or “I hope y'all lose.” If you are wearing Ole Miss, most people will scream Hotty Toddy and you respond with the same thing back.
Some speculate that it was developed after the Virginia Tech Regimantal Band called The Highty Tighties, derived from a cheer used throughout World War II, associated with the description of a warm alcoholic drink or a term referred to the perceived sentiment of the Ole Miss student body.
And all Ole Miss fans know what it means (although they might not really know what it "means"). ESPN's Doug Ward described it this way: "'Hotty Toddy' has no real meaning, but it means everything in Oxford. For students, fans and alumni, it is a greeting, cheer and secret handshake all rolled into one.
An Irish doctor (named Robert Bentley Todd) was said to have prescribed his patients with a mixture of hot brandy, water, cinnamon, and sugar. More than likely, though, the real story is likely a combination of the two. Perhaps Dr. Todd learned of the “taddy” in India and used it to formulate his own concoction.
Etymology. The word toddy comes from the toddy drink in India, produced by fermenting the sap of palm trees. Its earliest known use to mean "a beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices" is from 1786.
A hot toddy is a home remedy made from common household ingredients to treat the symptoms of cold and flu. The ingredients are warmed and ingested as a drink to help with sore throat pain, runny nose, and cough. The ingredients for a hot toddy are a combination of lemon or lemon juice, honey, and hot water.
Interviewed by the student newspaper, The Mississippian, in 1939, Meek stated: "I had often heard old 'darkies' on Southern plantations address the lady in the 'big house' as 'Ole Miss'... the name appealed to me, so I suggested it to the committee and they adopted it." Some historians concur that she derived the term ...
You're just as complex and as interested in challenging your taste buds to new flavors as you are in challenging yourself to new adventures. A risk-taker in all the best ways, you're always raising your glass to the joy of life.
HYDR is a brand that celebrates the beginning of the Ole Miss Hotty Toddy chant. The chant initiator says “Are You Ready?” and fans respond with, “Hell Yeah! Damn Right! Hotty Toddy gosh a'mighty…” Upon deciding to create an acronym to reference the Hell Yeah Damn Right into just one 4-letter word, HYDR was started.
Hotty Toddy is our cheer, but it's so much more. It's defined by moments of absolute joy. It's an exchange between kindred spirits. It's a response to a conquered challenge. It's your first day on campus.
Hot toddy originates from the Hindi word taddy, which in 1610s British-occupied India was a drink made with fermented palm sap. By around the mid-18th century taddy had evolved into a 'beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar and spices'.
Actually as an official Ole Miss reference, the first documented evidence of the phrase (then written as "Heighty! Tighty!") appeared in a November 19, 1926 copy of the student newspaper, The Mississippian.
A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland, and occasionally called southern cough syrup within the Southern United States, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey (or in some recipes, sugar), lemon, herbs (such as tea) and spices, and served hot.
Hot toddy originates from the Hindi word taddy, which in 1610s British-occupied India was a drink made with fermented palm sap. By around the mid-18th century taddy had evolved into a 'beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar and spices'.
For more than a century, it's been called Ole Miss. It sounds like folksy shorthand for Old Mississippi. The term's actual origin is more unsettling. In 1896, a fraternity-backed council asked students to name the new school yearbook. Student Elma Meek proffered Ole Miss.
Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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