The Oski Yell is the

University of California Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley ...

spirit yell from which the school’s mascot,

Oski the Bear Oski the Bear (Oski) is the official mascot of the University of California, Berkeley ("Cal"), representing the California Golden Bears. Named after the Oski Yell, he made his debut at a freshman rally in the Greek Theatre on September 25, 194 ...

, derives his name. Although Oski appeared in 1941, the yell was first performed around the turn of the 20th century. The yell's origins are uncertain, although the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

originated a similar yell in 1899 (with a different last line). Another early version is credited to Vince Wirtz, who led a similar cheer beginning in the 1920s at football games for

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

teams.

Lyrics

Berkeley's lyrics are: : ''Oski Wow-Wow!'' : ''Whiskey Wee-Wee!'' : ''Olee! Muckie-eye!'' : ''Olee! Berkeley-eye!'' : ''California! Wow!'' The Oski Yell is currently rarely heard in the stands, its function overtaken by spirit songs such as "

Big C Big C, operated by Big C Supercenter Public Company Limited under Big C Retail Corporation Public Company Limited, is a grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2016, Big C was Thailand's second-largest hy ...

," " Fight for California," and "

Sons of California "Sons of California" is a fight song of the University of California, Berkeley, as well as the University of California, Davis. It was composed by Clinton "Brick" Morse in 1896. Although it was originally an unpopular song among students because of ...

." It can still be heard thundering from the

Greek Theatre A theatrical culture flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. At its centre was the city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, and the theatre was institutionalised there as par ...

on Friday nights before the Big Game at the annual Big Game Rally.

Oskee Wee Wee

The

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

have a version of the Oski Yell, originally created by Vince Wirtz in the early 1920s. Wirtz developed the choreography for the cheer which was performed by "Pigskin Pete".Hamilton Tiger-Cat Alumni Association
"Cheers."
Hamilton Tiger-Cats History. Retrieved: 2013-11-24. The yell is still in use in a modified form called "Oskee Wee Wee" by the current Pigskin Pete at Tiger-Cats games:
Retrieved: 2013-11-24. : ''Oskee Wee Wee'' : ''Oskee Waa Waa'' : ''Holy Mackinaw'' : ''Tigers ... Eat 'em RAW!!'' Wirtz's original version of the cheer is the following: : ''Oskee Wee Wee'' : ''Whiskey Wa Wa'' : ''Holy Mackinaw'' : ''Tigers ... Eat'em RAW!!'' In 1968, the cheer was the subject of a

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

documentary ''Oskee Wee Wee.''

Bossy Cow Cow

A parody of the Berkeley cheer, called ''Bossy Cow Cow,'' exists at

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

(which was originally established as a farm for the use of Berkeley's College of Agriculture). This variation of the cheer made its debut during UCD's 1926 football game against the

College of the Pacific College of the Pacific (less formally Pacific College) is the liberal arts college of the University of the Pacific, a private Methodist-affiliated university with its main campus in Stockton, California. The college offers degrees in the natural ...

. : ''Bossy Cow-Cow!'' : ''Honey Bee-Bee!'' : ''Oleo! Margarine!'' : ''Oleo! Butterine!'' : ''Alfalfa! Hay!'' Bossy Cow-Cow, however, is still used today by the

UC Davis Marching Band The UC Davis Marching Band is the official marching band of the University of California, Davis, organized in fall of 2019. It is the successor to the student-run California Aggie Marching Band-uh!, which existed from the 1920s to 2019. In 2018, ...

formerly the California Aggie Marching Band-uh!.

References

{{reflist

External links

California Traditions and SymbolsUC Rally CommitteeOski.com photos and linksOski What?
Oski Yell, The Football songs and chants Hamilton Tiger-Cats