Yahoos

1. The crude, dirty “brutes” of the land of the Houyhnhnms in Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift . The Yahoos are irrational people and represent the worst side of humanity. By contrast, the wise and gentle Houyhnhnms, their masters, are rational horses and represent humanity at its best.

Notes

A “yahoo” is an uncouth or uncivilized person.

Example Sentences

That goes over well among the American Taliban and their uncouth cousins, the American Yahoos.

From Salon

Say what you will about Victorian England’s prime ministers and business leaders, at least they weren’t Yahoos.

From Washington Post

Because the toddler was ultimately not separated from her mother, Ms. Parker wrote, “You could practically hear the ‘Yahoos!’ from the Oval Office to the Fox News headquarters.”

From Washington Post

You could practically hear the “Yahoos!” from the Oval Office to the Fox News headquarters.

From Washington Post

If Gulliver could travel through time, instead of sailing around the world, imagine how familiar the Yahoos of Washington would look to him now.

From Washington Post