watusi

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

watusi (plural watusis)

1. A popular African-inspired dance of the 1960s, fueled by the success of the song The Wah-Watusi by The Orlons in 1962.
   • 1962, “The Wah-Watusi”, Kal Mann and Dave Appell (lyrics), performed by The Orlons:

     Baby, baby, that's the way it goes
     Nothing happens when you Mash Potatoes
     I just gotta fall in love with you
     Watusi is the dance to do
     Wah-a, wah, wah-a Watusi
     C'mon and take a chance and get-a with this dance.

   • 1962, “Land of a Thousand Dances”, Chris Kenner (lyrics), performed by Chris Kenner:

     Twist it in the alley
     With long tall Sally
     Twistin' with Lucy
     Doin' the watusi.

2. A Christmas firework popular in the Philippines, made with yellow phosphorus, potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate, and trinitrotoluene.

watusi (third-person singular simple present watusis, present participle watusiing, simple past and past participle watusied)

1. (intransitive) To dance the watusi.
   • 2005, Jimmy McDonough, Big bosoms and square jaws: the biography of Russ Meyer, king of the sex film:

     […] but in the middle of it all will be some preposterous, highly charged, not to mention boob-driven image of some chick watusiing away atop an oil rig.

Borrowed from English watusi, from Swahili watusi, from wa- (plural marker) +‎ Rwanda-Rundi Tūtsi.

• IPA^(key): /ˌwaˈtusi/, [ˌwaˈtu.sɪ]
• Hyphenation: wa‧tu‧si

wátúsi (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜆᜓᜐᜒ)

1. (dance) watusi (dance)
2. (pyrotechnics) watusi (firework)

• “watusi”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018