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"What ho!" - this strange form of greeting is used all the time by Bertie Wooster, a character of well-known "Jeeves and Wooster" stories by P. G. Wodehouse.

Bertie Wooster: Oh, what ho, Sir Watkyn!

Sir Watkyn Bassett: Kindly do not address me in that familiar way, Wooster. I happen to know that once again you've yielded to the awful temptation to steal a policeman's helmet! .....

Bertie Wooster: Aunt Dahlia! What ho, old blood relation!

Aunt Dahlia: [affectionately] Hello, Bertie, revolting young blot.

What does "ho" mean in such expressions? Is it a word reduction or an idiom?

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There's also "Right-ho" he uses. One of the books is titled "Right-ho, Jeeves!". – Mechanical snail Sep 26 '12 at 2:02

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According to this article, "what ho" is derived from "hwaet", which is the first word of Beowulf and is a sign of greeting. I don't think "ho" has a meaning by itself.

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It is just and interjection used as a call to attract attention or as an exclamation of surprise or delight. – Luke Aug 4 '12 at 22:12
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Yes, more or less equivalent to Wassup? – jwpat7 Aug 4 '12 at 22:29

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