boojack n. a newspaper boy who attracts customers with shouts. Editorial Note: The most similar word I could find was bootjack, ‘a contrivance for pulling off boots,’ but the similarity is superficial. Another similar word, and more interesting in its possible connection, is the exclamation of enthusiasm booya. An unlikely comparison might be made to hijack, connoting, perhaps, the stopping of passersby with exclamations and shouts. A relationship might also be speculated with jack one’s jaws ‘to talk volubly’ (HDAS 1960) ; to jack ‘to steal; hijack’ (HDAS 1930) and ‘to hold up’ (HDAS 1982). (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ophelia in Johnson City, Tennessee, wonders about the exclamation her great-grandmother often used when something surprised her: Cat bristle! That may be her own version of a minced oath, although it fits with the idea of how a cat’s tail might look...
Emily from New Orleans, Louisiana, wonders about the expression Holy cow! to indicate surprise or delight. It’s one of many minced oaths, in this case a replacement for the stronger exclamation, Holy Christ! These euphemistic expressions, such...