So I picked as a favorite, b/c not only did we have a rather intense comments discussion about this, but also b/c Friend of FaN, Sallie Patrick, convinced me that it should be spelled “yay,” and I’ve spelled it that way ever since!
From July 29, 2009
- Image Credit: Khantipol
So I have this character in my rogue sci-fi novel who gets weirdly and rather childishly excited about everything and therefore ends up saying, “Yay!” a lot.
Or should it be “Yea!”?
Or should it be “Yeah!”?
Like me you’ve probably seen this exclamation spelled all three ways by others. I personally prefer “yea,” but will go with “yay” according to the addressee and/or the occasion.
For example, I might say, “Yea! I can’t wait to see you again” to a college buddy visiting town.
And “Yay! The 2010 reunion is going to rock” to a family member.
I never say “Yeah!” b/c I feel it sounds a little too much like I’m pumping my fist in the air when I write it this way, but I do understand what attracts other people to it.
Still, I wish we could all agree one way of spelling this exclamation. Then I’d really say yea!
Or yay!
Or yeah!
Sigh… But seriously, how do you think we should spell it? Let’s hash it out in the comments.