"Fore!", originally a Scots interjection, is used to warn anyone standing or moving in the flight of a

golf ball A golf ball is a special ball designed to be used in the game of golf. Under the rules of golf, a golf ball has a mass no more than , has a diameter not less than , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits. Like g ...

. The etymology of the word in this usage is uncertain. Mention of the term in an 1881 British Golf Museum indicates that the term was in use at least as early as that period.''Why Do Golfers Yell "Fore" for Errant Shots?''
retrieved June 15, 2007 A possible origin of the word is the term "fore-caddie", a

caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

waiting down range from the golfer to find where the ball lands. These caddies were often warned about oncoming golf balls by a shout of the term "fore-caddie" which was eventually shortened to just "fore!".''Derivation 4 Fore! and Caddie''
retrieved June 15, 2007 The

Colonel Bogey March The "Colonel Bogey March" is a British march that was composed in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881–1945) (pen name Kenneth J. Alford), a British Army bandmaster who later became the director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymout ...

is based on the descending minor third which the original Colonel Bogey whistled instead of yelling "fore" around 1914. It also may have been a contraction of the Gaelic cry

Faugh A Ballagh ''Faugh a Ballagh'' ( ; also written ''Faugh an Beallach'') is a battle cry of Irish origin, meaning "clear the way". The spelling is an 18th-century anglicization of the Irish language phrase ''Fág an Bealach'' , also written ''Fág a' Beal ...

! (i.e. Clear the way!) which is still associated with the sport of road bowling which has features reminiscent of golf.

Notes

References

* Scott, James Sibbald David, ''The British Army: Its Origin, Progress, and Equipment'', 1868 * ''Windsor Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women'' Vol. 32, no. 292 (December 1910) Golf terminology Scottish English {{Golf-stub sv:Lista över golftermer#Fore