What is Hotty Toddy?
Hotty Toddy is our cheer, but it’s so much more.
Are you ready?
Hell yeah! Damn right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty,
Who the hell are we? Hey!
Flim flam, bim bam,
Ole Miss by damn!
Yell it. Feel it. Above all, live it.
Whether it’s tailgating in the Grove or greeting a classmate with "Hotty Toddy," the spirit of Ole Miss runs deep.
We’re always asking ourselves if we’re ready, even though we already know the answer – a resounding “Yes!” But where is the fun in keeping it to ourselves?
It's Your Experience
It's your first day on campus
The origins of the phrase remain a mystery.
. . . and your last day.
Some speculate that it was developed after the Virginia Tech Regimental Band called The Highty Tighties.
It's Your Exclamation
It’s a response to a conquered challenge
Others say it derives from a cheer used throughout World War II, or from the description of a warm alcoholic drink, the “hot toddy.”
. . . and an exchange between kindred spirits.
Some claim it's a reference to the term “hoity-toity,” the French expression for pretentious, referring to the perceived sentiment of the Ole Miss student body.
It's When You Return
It’s an emotion
The earliest known reference appeared in The Mississippian on November 19, 1926. The following appeared among a selection of cheers to be used during the next day’s football game.
"Heighty! Tighty!
Gosh A Mighty!
Who in the h—l are we?
Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam!
Ole Miss, by D—n!"
. . . felt only by those who’ve walked the hallowed grounds of the Grove.
Ever since, with some slight alteration, Rebel fans have passed down the cheer from generation to generation.