{"id":6807,"date":"2022-07-30T17:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-30T17:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=6807"},"modified":"2022-07-30T17:51:05","modified_gmt":"2022-07-30T17:51:05","slug":"who-dey-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/who-dey-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Dey \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you heading to Paul Brown Stadium to watch a Cincinnati Bengals game? Don\u2019t be surprised when the crowd starts chanting \u201cWho Dey<\/em>\u201d to intimidate the other team.<\/p>\n

This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018who dey<\/em>?\u2019 is a chant used by Cincinnati Bengals fans during home games. The phrase becomes more popular on social media and during games when the Bengals are doing well that season and have a shot at a bowl game.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The chant is a cheer fans use to motivate the team and intimidate the competition. When you have a stadium filled with fans chanting \u2018who dey<\/em>,\u2019 it\u2019s enough to throw you off you\u2019re A-game as a football player.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cWho dey, who dey, who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals? No-one! We\u2019re the best!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at the game last night and got a picture with Who Dey, the Cincinnati Bengal\u2019s Mascot; he\u2019s such a cutie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that tiger costume Who Dey, the mascot, wears. It reminds me of Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh kids animation.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bengals have some crazy fans,\u00a0 man. If you\u2019ve ever attended a game at Paul Brown Stadium, it\u2019s intimidating when the fans start chanting Who Dey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at Paul Brown Stadium last night for the Bengals game. When the crowd started chanting \u2018who dey,\u2019 I got chills down my spine. It\u2019s such an electric environment in that stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u2018who dey\u2019 originates from the Cincinnati Bengals NFL team. Cincinnati has a passionate fanbase and huge attendance records at games, especially bowl games. The first use of the expression emerged during the early 1970s when fans would chant the following at games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho dey, who dey, who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?\u201d<\/p>\n

The use of the chant started in the 1970s, but it took hold and gained popularity across the country after the Bengal's first Superbowl run in 1981.<\/p>\n

Bengals fans have a long-standing rivalry with the New Orleans Saints. Saints fans believe the \u2018who dey\u2019 chant is nothing more than a knock-off of the \u2018Who Dat?\u2019 chant used by the Saints fans at games.<\/p>\n

No one knows which team came up with the chant first, but most enthusiasts believe it traces back to the Bengals, not the Saints. It\u2019s common to hear the chant more frequently at Cincinnati games as the team progresses deeper into the season and when the Bengals are on a winning streak.<\/p>\n