ta ta

• ta-ta, tata, ta tah, ta-tah, tah tah, tah-tah

Probably hypocoristic, circa 1823.

• IPA^(key): /tɑːtɑː/, /tətɑː/, /təˈtɑː/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

ta ta

1. (chiefly Commonwealth, UK, Ireland, informal, colloquial) Goodbye.
   • 1917, Henry Handel Richardson, Australia Felix, The Echo Library, published 2007, page 229:

     “ […] Well, ta-ta, sweetheart! Don′t expect me back to lunch.”

   • 1923 (recorded 1900), Ed Smith (Cranbrook Courier), Reminiscences of Kootenay Pioneers, recalling an event claimed to be the origin of the place name Ta Ta Creek; viewed in British Columbia archives),

     Red put the spurs to his horse and galloped away: “Ta ta, friends, I′ve business up the trail.”

   • 1967, Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock‎^[1], page 55:

     ‘No more questions? Then I′ll be off. Ta-ta.’

Dated and rarely used in the United States, sometimes used in Canada. Although likely to be understood, it is likely to be considered rather humorous, particularly if used in a parody of British English and Irish English speakers. The word is very commonly used in India and Myanmar (Burma).

• (goodbye): bye, goodbye, hooroo (Australian); see also Thesaurus:goodbye

• → Burmese: တာ့တာ (ta.ta), တာတား (tata:)
• → Malayalam: റ്റാറ്റാ (ṟṟāṟṟā)

• ta
• tara
• ta ta for now
• TTFN

• “ta ta”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• atta