tra-la

[ trah-lah or trah-lah-lah ]

/ trɑˈlɑ or ˈtrɑ lɑˈlɑ /

nonsense syllables sung as a refrain, expressing gaiety.

Origin of tra-la

First recorded in 1815–25

Then Kipps began to sing, "Ar pars eight tra-la, in the lane be'ind the church."

Kipps |H. G. Wells
"Tra-la, tra-la-la-la-la," chirped he, softly and contentedly.

The Diamond Coterie |Lawrence L. Lynch
"Tra-la, comrade," he shouted, leaping out of the cellar as soon as he saw me.

Lords of the North |A. C. Laut
The "tra-la" was considered to render this sentence incomprehensible to the uninitiated.

Kipps |H. G. Wells

He took the doll and jumped it up and down in the air, dancing about and singing, “Tra-la.”

Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad |Various

tra-la

/ (ˌtrɑːˈlɑː) /

a set of nonsensical syllables used in humming music, esp for a melody or refrain