A word uniquely
military in nature and in origin, and featured in its two-syllable (that is,
Army) configuration in
Scent of a Woman, it has come to mean anything but "No." "HUA!" can mean
- Yes, Sir!
- I'm incredibly excited!
- I'm not even remotely excited, but everyone else is, and we've got to stick together, right?
- Triple Coupons? Sweeeeet!
- Fuckin' A!
- I'll take care of that right away, not because you ordered me to, but because I enjoy blowing shit up.
- You're giving me a brand-new Ferarri for free? But I'm a Marine!
- It's sure hard to give you a straight answer with this K-BAR between my teeth and all those people shooting at us.
- I'd love to go to Libya. Now where's my gun?
- Only eighteen more miles to go, and every liter I drink makes my pack a little lighter!
...and so forth. Originally, the word "HUA" was an acronym used over the radio to mean "Heard, Understood, Acknowledged." It has since evolved into the most utilitarian single syllable since the F-word. When people call a Marine a grunt, HUA is the grunt to which they're referring. If you ask a Marine if he enjoys being a Marine, his answer will be HUA.
Various pronunciations I've heard:
- "Hook" with no "k", and a long, rising vowel.
- "Hurrah" with no R's, same rising vowel tone.
- "Who-Wa" (e.g. Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman)
- "Who-Ya" (e.g. Demi Moore in G.I. Jane)
- "OO-AH!" (think howler monkey)
Mix and match,
roll your own, but
say it LOUD.