Why, yes, I'm wearing my cranky-pants, why do you ask?

[etakyma]

So one of my biggest pet peeves you can't even tell unless you come across it in writing/reading. The correct word, people, is "Voila!" It is French. It means "Lo! There it is!" or "Ta-Da!" or "Presto!" But it is definitely spelled Vee oh eye el ay (exclamation point optional). The French do put an accent over the ay. But it is under no circumstances spelled double-u ay el el ay. That is a nothing word that means exactly nothing. Not even in the witch doctor song does it mean anything, and there it is more a "walla-walla" nonsense sound than anything else (although, to be fair, there are place names of "Walla Walla," but it still would not be used with the exclamation point in these circumstances).

I got an email from someone who is a reasonably intelligent human being that used "Walla!" as an exclamation meaning "Presto!" And I am banging my head saying, no no no no a thousand times NO! It is "Voila!" And it is originally French.