Etymology
Tally-ho dates from around 1772, and is probably derived from the French taïaut, a cry used to excite hounds when hunting deer. This, in turn, probably was derived from taille haut! meaning size up cried by French commanders upon mediaeval battlefields upon the final assault.
Tally-ho is also used in the Northern Indian countryside for provoking and alerting dogs. This is pronounced in India as leo-ho. Most probably the British Colonists introduced this word to Indian people. Later on it became interchangeable with choo, with the same meaning as leo-ho.
"Tally-ho" had its first recorded use in the Americas in a 1802 hunting journal. From there, its use spread as more British colonists arrived. However, the phrase fell out of favour following the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).
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