191:. Before 1900, students at Georgetown were required to study classical linguistics, and both words are in the neuter plural of their respective languages. The phrase together is generally translated into English as "what rocks!", though other translations have suggested "such rocks!" or "great rocks!" or even "what rocks?" as a question. It was also historically rendered as "Hoya, Hoya, Saxa!", a form that is used in "The Hoya Song" from 1930 which mocked the cheers of other universities, and was then included in the school fight song, "
851:
20:
210:
or to one of the baseball teams, which was named the "Stonewalls". The baseball team was founded in 1870 while the football team formed in 1874, and the cheer was used at both sports' events by the 1890s. It might also refer to the actual stone wall that surrounds the campus, for which the baseball
206:. By 1894, chanting the phrase was considered a well-established tradition, and its use at commencement and alumni celebrations was also published. The exact origin or original use of the cheer is however unknown. Probable theories suggest it either refers to the stalwart defense of
890:
253:
entrance. The sign is an occasional target of vandalism because of its association with school spirit. Word plays and rhymes using the phrase are common, including "Hoya Snaxa", the
1462:
565:
533:
501:
469:
407:
1325:
815:
940:
1612:
1455:
880:
1239:
930:
795:
915:
800:
249:, for their student newspaper. Since the early 1990s, the phrase has been painted in large letters on an abandoned trolley trestle by the university's
1568:
198:
The phrase was first used at
Georgetown University sometime before 1893, when it was noted in publications about Georgetown's football games against
314:
1448:
1137:
1075:
945:
761:
1132:
925:
975:
900:
1397:
970:
239:
203:
1602:
1592:
1586:
1579:
905:
575:
543:
511:
479:
417:
257:
snack shop. The school also hosts a "Hoya Saxa
Weekend" each spring to attract minority applicants through a weekend campus immersion.
218:
began to be used as an adjective to describe students and their associations on campus, starting with the student-run sports newspaper
1315:
1256:
805:
1127:
870:
830:
1085:
985:
835:
1234:
1055:
820:
980:
910:
1261:
1229:
1050:
965:
895:
608:
1411:
1404:
1117:
754:
686:
1251:
1035:
351:
73:
1652:
1647:
1471:
1340:
1330:
1289:
1266:
1122:
955:
825:
439:
840:
810:
245:(1928–1935) encouraged this, and he was known to have suggested the name "Hoiah" be used at his previous school,
1642:
1065:
747:
1045:
865:
266:
250:
1320:
935:
875:
790:
690:
254:
1305:
1429:
920:
885:
717:
322:
780:
1557:
1282:
1271:
1246:
1224:
1010:
246:
207:
192:
23:
The phrase "Hoya Saxa" is painted in large blue and gray letters at
Georgetown's Canal Road entrance
1365:
659:
1493:
1418:
1192:
990:
1390:
1015:
995:
770:
86:
1383:
8:
1440:
1217:
1182:
1147:
570:
538:
506:
474:
412:
234:
1335:
1142:
1107:
199:
1060:
1355:
1187:
1177:
1005:
242:
1551:
1530:
1525:
1520:
1515:
1510:
1350:
1295:
1212:
1202:
1162:
1112:
635:
225:
90:
33:
1345:
1025:
1020:
1152:
1070:
630:
598:
694:
1636:
850:
100:
447:
1487:
1167:
381:
285:
359:
1172:
1100:
1000:
739:
1095:
188:
1624:
National championship seasons in bold; College Cup seasons in italics
116:
110:
94:
1376:
722:
664:
232:
was applied to the athletics teams themselves by publications like
220:
19:
42:
603:
164:
122:
104:
1424:
187:
It was used in the name of some Roman settlements, such as
65:
45:
1470:
56:
74:
62:
59:
53:
50:
39:
36:
916:Institute for the Study of International Migration
1634:
718:"Weekend Tries to Increase Minority Enrollment"
926:Institute for Law, Science and Global Security
85:) is the official cheer and "college yell" of
1456:
755:
157:and is used in certain biblical quotations.
204:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
158:
1463:
1449:
762:
748:
769:
931:Institute of Politics and Public Service
657:
309:
307:
18:
715:
658:Sheridan, Patrick (February 27, 2007).
596:
16:Official cheer of Georgetown University
1635:
599:"Hoya Mural: Monument or Monstrosity?"
346:
344:
342:
340:
1444:
911:Center on Education and the Workforce
743:
660:"Canal Road Entrance Sign Vandalized"
597:Shepard, Grayson (January 14, 2005).
304:
432:
1412:Georgetown Environmental Law Review
1405:Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
611:from the original on March 20, 2012
566:"Ripley Shifts Line-Ups at Hilltop"
337:
13:
901:International and Regional Studies
574:. January 22, 1929. Archived from
478:. January 26, 1894. Archived from
416:. October 28, 1894. Archived from
14:
1664:
716:Patrick, Sarah (April 23, 2012).
446:. August 17, 2005. Archived from
103:word usually transliterated from
1398:Journal of International Affairs
849:
542:. April 18, 1897. Archived from
32:
906:Institute for Consumer Research
709:
679:
651:
623:
590:
558:
510:. June 20, 1894. Archived from
526:
494:
462:
400:
374:
278:
1:
1473:Georgetown Hoyas men's soccer
941:Latin American Studies Center
866:Georgetown University Library
272:
267:Georgetown Preparatory School
936:Government Affairs Institute
876:Woodstock Theological Center
691:Students of Georgetown, Inc.
117:
111:
95:
7:
921:International Law Institute
886:Kennedy Institute of Ethics
260:
228:in 1926. By 1929, the term
10:
1669:
123:
105:
1621:
1601:
1567:
1558:There Goes Old Georgetown
1539:
1503:
1480:
1364:
1304:
1283:There Goes Old Georgetown
1201:
1138:Jesuit Community Cemetery
1084:
1034:
954:
896:Contemporary Arab Studies
858:
847:
779:
247:College of the Holy Cross
193:There Goes Old Georgetown
1653:Latin words and phrases
1648:Greek words and phrases
214:By the 1920s, the term
1419:The Georgetown Heckler
1193:Statue of John Carroll
946:Lombardi Cancer Center
891:Prince Alwaleed Center
159:
24:
1643:Georgetown University
1391:Georgetown Law Weekly
1016:Patrick Francis Healy
772:Georgetown University
534:"Tigers Won Handidly"
470:"Revive College Days"
450:on September 24, 2010
408:"Won Around the Ends"
87:Georgetown University
22:
1384:The Georgetown Voice
1128:Intercultural Center
693:2012. Archived from
631:"Signs of the Times"
502:"Sons of Georgetown"
440:"Cheers & Yells"
362:on February 27, 2009
240:University president
1218:Big East Conference
1183:McDonough Gymnasium
639:. September 8, 2005
578:on October 26, 2012
571:The Washington Post
546:on November 2, 2012
539:The Washington Post
514:on October 26, 2012
507:The Washington Post
482:on October 26, 2012
475:The Washington Post
420:on November 2, 2012
413:The Washington Post
235:The Washington Post
91:its athletics teams
1604:College Cup finals
1540:Culture & lore
1336:Philodemic Society
1235:Women's Basketball
1143:Holy Rood Cemetery
976:Board of directors
801:Continuing Studies
200:Swarthmore College
25:
1630:
1629:
1521:George Washington
1438:
1437:
1356:Georgetown Chimes
1341:Mask & Bauble
1188:Capital One Arena
1178:Yates Field House
1006:Ferdinand Poulton
352:"What is a Hoya?"
319:Georgetown Alumni
243:W. Coleman Nevils
224:in 1920, and the
208:the football team
1660:
1625:
1605:
1571:
1552:Jack the Bulldog
1474:
1465:
1458:
1451:
1442:
1441:
1430:University Press
1368:
1351:Stewards Society
1308:
1296:Jack the Bulldog
1262:Women's lacrosse
1230:Men's basketball
1205:
1163:Capital One Park
1113:Lauinger Library
1088:
1038:
958:
853:
783:
773:
764:
757:
750:
741:
740:
735:
734:
732:
730:
713:
707:
706:
704:
702:
697:on June 28, 2012
683:
677:
676:
674:
672:
655:
649:
648:
646:
644:
636:Georgetown Hoyas
627:
621:
620:
618:
616:
594:
588:
587:
585:
583:
562:
556:
555:
553:
551:
530:
524:
523:
521:
519:
498:
492:
491:
489:
487:
466:
460:
459:
457:
455:
436:
430:
429:
427:
425:
404:
398:
397:
395:
393:
388:. April 10, 2007
378:
372:
371:
369:
367:
358:. Archived from
348:
335:
334:
332:
330:
325:on June 12, 2010
321:. Archived from
315:"What's a hoya?"
311:
302:
301:
299:
297:
290:Strong's Numbers
282:
211:team was named.
186:
183:
180:
176:
173:
170:
162:
156:
153:
150:
146:
143:
140:
136:
133:
130:
126:
125:
120:
114:
108:
107:
98:
81:
77:
72:
71:
68:
67:
64:
61:
58:
55:
52:
48:
47:
44:
41:
38:
1668:
1667:
1663:
1662:
1661:
1659:
1658:
1657:
1633:
1632:
1631:
1626:
1623:
1617:
1603:
1597:
1569:
1563:
1535:
1499:
1476:
1472:
1469:
1439:
1434:
1366:
1360:
1346:Nomadic Theatre
1306:
1300:
1203:
1197:
1118:Dahlgren Chapel
1086:
1080:
1036:
1030:
1026:John J. DeGioia
1021:Edmund A. Walsh
956:
950:
854:
845:
811:Foreign Service
781:
775:
771:
768:
738:
728:
726:
714:
710:
700:
698:
685:
684:
680:
670:
668:
656:
652:
642:
640:
629:
628:
624:
614:
612:
595:
591:
581:
579:
564:
563:
559:
549:
547:
532:
531:
527:
517:
515:
500:
499:
495:
485:
483:
468:
467:
463:
453:
451:
438:
437:
433:
423:
421:
406:
405:
401:
391:
389:
380:
379:
375:
365:
363:
350:
349:
338:
328:
326:
313:
312:
305:
295:
293:
284:
283:
279:
275:
263:
184:
181:
178:
174:
171:
168:
154:
152:what manner of,
151:
148:
144:
141:
138:
134:
131:
128:
79:
75:
49:
35:
31:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1666:
1656:
1655:
1650:
1645:
1628:
1627:
1622:
1619:
1618:
1616:
1615:
1609:
1607:
1599:
1598:
1596:
1595:
1590:
1583:
1575:
1573:
1565:
1564:
1562:
1561:
1554:
1549:
1543:
1541:
1537:
1536:
1534:
1533:
1528:
1523:
1518:
1513:
1507:
1505:
1501:
1500:
1498:
1497:
1496:(2001–present)
1491:
1484:
1482:
1478:
1477:
1468:
1467:
1460:
1453:
1445:
1436:
1435:
1433:
1432:
1427:
1422:
1415:
1408:
1401:
1394:
1387:
1380:
1372:
1370:
1362:
1361:
1359:
1358:
1353:
1348:
1343:
1338:
1333:
1328:
1323:
1318:
1312:
1310:
1302:
1301:
1299:
1298:
1293:
1286:
1279:
1274:
1269:
1264:
1259:
1254:
1252:Men's lacrosse
1249:
1244:
1243:
1242:
1232:
1227:
1222:
1221:
1220:
1209:
1207:
1199:
1198:
1196:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1180:
1175:
1170:
1165:
1160:
1159:
1158:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1092:
1090:
1082:
1081:
1079:
1078:
1073:
1071:Villa Le Balze
1068:
1063:
1058:
1053:
1051:Medical Center
1048:
1042:
1040:
1032:
1031:
1029:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
962:
960:
952:
951:
949:
948:
943:
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
881:Berkley Center
878:
873:
871:Mortara Center
868:
862:
860:
856:
855:
848:
846:
844:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
787:
785:
777:
776:
767:
766:
759:
752:
744:
737:
736:
708:
678:
650:
622:
589:
557:
525:
493:
461:
431:
399:
373:
336:
303:
276:
274:
271:
270:
269:
262:
259:
115:from the word
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1665:
1654:
1651:
1649:
1646:
1644:
1641:
1640:
1638:
1620:
1614:
1611:
1610:
1608:
1606:
1600:
1594:
1591:
1589:
1588:
1584:
1582:
1581:
1577:
1576:
1574:
1572:
1566:
1559:
1555:
1553:
1550:
1548:
1545:
1544:
1542:
1538:
1532:
1529:
1527:
1524:
1522:
1519:
1517:
1514:
1512:
1509:
1508:
1506:
1502:
1495:
1492:
1489:
1486:
1485:
1483:
1479:
1475:
1466:
1461:
1459:
1454:
1452:
1447:
1446:
1443:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1420:
1416:
1414:
1413:
1409:
1407:
1406:
1402:
1400:
1399:
1395:
1393:
1392:
1388:
1386:
1385:
1381:
1379:
1378:
1374:
1373:
1371:
1369:
1363:
1357:
1354:
1352:
1349:
1347:
1344:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
1332:
1329:
1327:
1324:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1313:
1311:
1309:
1303:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1291:
1287:
1285:
1284:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1250:
1248:
1245:
1241:
1238:
1237:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1219:
1216:
1215:
1214:
1211:
1210:
1208:
1206:
1200:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1157:
1155:
1151:
1150:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1102:
1099:
1098:
1097:
1094:
1093:
1091:
1089:
1083:
1077:
1076:McGhee Center
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1043:
1041:
1039:
1033:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
1001:John Gravenor
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
963:
961:
959:
953:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
863:
861:
857:
852:
842:
841:Public Policy
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
788:
786:
784:
778:
774:
765:
760:
758:
753:
751:
746:
745:
742:
725:
724:
719:
712:
696:
692:
688:
682:
667:
666:
661:
654:
638:
637:
632:
626:
610:
606:
605:
600:
593:
577:
573:
572:
567:
561:
545:
541:
540:
535:
529:
513:
509:
508:
503:
497:
481:
477:
476:
471:
465:
449:
445:
441:
435:
419:
415:
414:
409:
403:
387:
383:
377:
361:
357:
353:
347:
345:
343:
341:
324:
320:
316:
310:
308:
291:
287:
281:
277:
268:
265:
264:
258:
256:
252:
248:
244:
241:
237:
236:
231:
227:
226:school mascot
223:
222:
217:
212:
209:
205:
201:
196:
194:
190:
182:small stones.
166:
161:
119:
113:
102:
101:Ancient Greek
97:
92:
88:
84:
83:
70:
29:
21:
1585:
1578:
1546:
1516:George Mason
1488:Harbin Field
1417:
1410:
1403:
1396:
1389:
1382:
1375:
1307:Student life
1288:
1281:
1276:
1267:Men's soccer
1168:Cooper Field
1153:
1066:Qatar Campus
1011:John Carroll
996:Andrew White
727:. Retrieved
721:
711:
699:. Retrieved
695:the original
687:"Hoya Snaxa"
681:
669:. Retrieved
663:
653:
641:. Retrieved
634:
625:
613:. Retrieved
602:
592:
580:. Retrieved
576:the original
569:
560:
548:. Retrieved
544:the original
537:
528:
516:. Retrieved
512:the original
505:
496:
484:. Retrieved
480:the original
473:
464:
454:December 21,
452:. Retrieved
448:the original
444:HoyaSaxa.com
443:
434:
422:. Retrieved
418:the original
411:
402:
390:. Retrieved
386:HoyaSaxa.com
385:
376:
366:November 17,
364:. Retrieved
360:the original
356:HoyaSaxa.com
355:
327:. Retrieved
323:the original
318:
294:. Retrieved
289:
280:
233:
229:
219:
215:
213:
197:
27:
26:
1490:(1952–2000)
1240:Draft picks
1173:Kehoe Field
1133:Observatory
1101:Gaston Hall
382:"The Songs"
255:student-run
93:. The term
1637:Categories
1494:Shaw Field
1290:Alma Mater
1096:Healy Hall
1061:Law Center
1046:Georgetown
991:Slave sale
971:Presidents
273:References
251:Canal Road
189:Saxa Rubra
127:) meaning
1547:Hoya Saxa
1504:Rivalries
1277:Hoya Saxa
1204:Athletics
1108:Old North
1087:Buildings
806:Dentistry
729:March 31,
671:April 30,
643:April 30,
615:April 30,
582:April 26,
518:April 26,
486:April 26,
329:April 26,
296:April 26,
28:Hoya Saxa
1531:Maryland
1511:American
1377:The Hoya
1321:The Corp
1272:Softball
1247:Football
1225:Baseball
1154:Exorcist
1148:Car Barn
1056:Hospital
1037:Campuses
859:Research
831:Medicine
816:Graduate
791:Business
723:The Hoya
701:June 15,
665:The Hoya
609:Archived
261:See also
221:The Hoya
202:and the
1570:Seasons
1326:GUASFCU
1123:Housing
981:Faculty
957:History
836:Nursing
796:College
782:Schools
550:May 10,
424:May 10,
286:"hoios"
1526:Howard
1481:Venues
986:Police
966:Alumni
821:Health
392:May 2,
292:. 1998
147:as in
99:is an
1367:Media
1257:Rugby
1213:Hoyas
1156:steps
604:DCist
230:Hoyas
172:rocks
165:Latin
118:hoios
1613:2019
1593:2020
1587:2019
1580:2012
1425:WGTB
1316:GUSA
731:2019
703:2012
673:2010
645:2010
617:2010
584:2010
552:2010
520:2010
488:2010
456:2009
426:2010
394:2010
368:2009
331:2010
298:2010
216:hoya
167:for
160:Saxa
142:what
132:such
124:οἷος
112:hoia
96:hoya
89:and
1331:ΔΦΕ
826:Law
195:".
177:or
163:is
137:or
109:as
106:οἵα
82:-sə
80:SAK
78:-ə
76:HOY
1639::
720:.
689:.
662:.
633:.
607:.
601:.
568:.
536:.
504:.
472:.
442:.
410:.
384:.
354:.
339:^
317:.
306:^
288:.
238:.
43:ɔɪ
1560:"
1556:"
1464:e
1457:t
1450:v
763:e
756:t
749:v
733:.
705:.
675:.
647:.
619:.
586:.
554:.
522:.
490:.
458:.
428:.
396:.
370:.
333:.
300:.
185:'
179:'
175:'
169:'
155:'
149:'
145:'
139:'
135:'
129:'
121:(
69:/
66:ə
63:s
60:k
57:æ
54:s
51:ˈ
46:ə
40:h
37:ˈ
34:/
30:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
