A “Hoo” is a throaty sound made with the air passing through the narrowed lips. The equivalent sound in British English is called “jeering'” or heckling or making cat calls. But in Sri Lankan English the act of “hooting” is not confined to bats only! In Sri Lanka hooting is commonly heard near schools especially after dismissal and in Universities. The male species of the Sri Lankan takes the lead in any act of hooting in most instances and I don’t know whether it is the same in British or American English!

The act of hooting is mostly an expression of displeasure or disapproval, and the objective is to make the recipient of the ‘hooting’ embarrassed. Sometimes the cause of hooting could be the passing by of a girl whom the boys disapprove due to her attitude or dress. The Sri Lankans in general are very intolerent to change and anybody or any thing that is deemsd different could be subjected to a “hoo attack”! “Demuda Hoowak?”(Shall we give the hooting treatment?) is a common suggestion made by Sri Lankan students when they find something different or uncomfortable to them. Another trait of most Sri Lankans is that they are very self conscious and shy in public. Even the most seasoned old women and the dirty old men [Edited] would flush instantly by a mere hooting(hoowa) in public. When faced with a hooting attack the Sri Lankan victim of the attack hardly ever confronts the hecklers or questions back them as in the British or American English, but almost always retreats holding his or her head in a mixture of shame, guilt and anger. Recently a minister was subjected to this treat by some University students and the subsequent stern action taken against them following this could be explained by this. In British English I don’t know how hooting could embarrasss a minister.