shoots
/ʃuːts/"Shoots" is one of the most distinctly local Hawaiian expressions — a warm, casual all-purpose word that can mean goodbye, okay, sounds good, or got it. It is used to close out a conversation ("Shoots, I'll catch you lata"), as a quick affirmation ("Shoots, I can do dat"), or on its own as a parting word. Using it naturally marks someone as a local; newcomers tend to pick it up fast because it fits so many situations.
- 1.
bye
- 2.
ok
- 3.
got it
"Shoots" derives from the American English exclamation "shoot," but in Hawaiian Pidgin it shed that original meaning entirely and evolved into a versatile farewell and affirmative expression. The plural form "shoots" became the dominant Pidgin usage, distinguished from its English source. It likely entered common use in mid-20th century Hawaiʻi as Pidgin consolidated across plantation communities and local youth culture.