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. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...

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, 1941 ...

, 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 (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

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 province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

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," "Fight for California," and "Sons of California." It can still be heard thundering from the

Greek Theatre Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...

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 of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

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; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

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 land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

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