Ole Miss tradition: Explaining the history and meaning behind Hotty Toddy

Fans of the Ole Miss Rebels are known for saying “Hotty Toddy,” but what does the phrase mean and what are its college football origins?

If you’ve been around Ole Miss football fans, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the rallying cry of “Hotty Toddy.” It’s just what the Rebels say.

But have you ever thought about what those two words actually mean?

Hotty Toddy meaning: Where does the Ole Miss rallying cry come from?

The first time something resembling “Hotty Toddy” appeared in relation to Ole Miss was in 1926, Edwin Smith wrote on the official Ole Miss website in 2014. The Mississippian printed a cheer that went, “Heighty! Tighty! Gosh A Mighty! Who in the hell are we? Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam! Ole Miss, by Damn!”

That’s a reference to a cheer that was later popularized in the military during World War II.

Somewhere along the way, the “heighty” transformed into “hotty” and the “tighty” into “toddy.” No one seems to know exactly when or why.

What is known is that the saying has become synonymous with Ole Miss pride. The exact meaning has now become much more about the community of Rebels than anything having to do with the actual words themselves.

In that sense, Hotty Toddy may as well mean “Go Rebels.” It’s all about being part of the Ole Miss fanbase.

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