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Hotty Toddy!
University of Mississippi
Location: Oxford, MS
Nickname: Rebels
Type of School: Public Research University
Mascot: “Colonel Reb”
Total student body: 27,124 (Fall 2024)
University Established: 1844
Football Stadium: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Capacity: 64,038
Team Colors: Cardinal Red and Navy Blue
Alma Mater
Way down south in Mississippi, There’s a spot that ever calls
Where among the hills enfolded. Stand Old Alma Mater’s Halls.
Where the trees lift high their branches, To the whisp’ring southern breeze.
There Ole Miss is calling, calling, to our hearts’ fond memories.
With united hearts we praise thee, All our loyalty is thine,
And we hail thee, Alma Mater, may thy light forever shine;
May it brighter grow and brighter, And with deep affection true,
Our thoughts shall ever cluster ’round thee, Dear Old Red and Blue.
My thy fame throughout the nation, Through thy sons and daughters grow,
May thy name forever waken, In our hearts a tender glow,
May thy counsel and thy spirit, Ever keep us one in this,
That our own shall be thine honor, Now and ever dear Ole Miss.
Traditions
Hotty Toddy!
Hotty Toddy is THE Ole Miss cheer, but it’s so much more to Rebel fans, faculty, staff, and alumni.
“Are you ready?
Hell yeah! Damn right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty,
Who the hell are we? Hey!
Flim flam, bim bam,
Ole Miss by damn!”
The Rebel faithful Yell it. They Feel it. And Above all, They Live it.
Whether it’s at a tailgate in the Grove or you’re greeting a classmate you haven’t seen in ages, the words “Hotty Toddy,” makes it clear that there is a bond and a spirit shared between Ole Miss Rebels that lasts forever.
The origins of the phrase have always been a mystery. Some speculate that it was developed after hearing the Virginia Tech Regimental Band called The Highty Tighties. Others say it derives from a cheer used throughout World War II, or from the description of a warm alcoholic drink, the “hot toddy.”
There are others still, that claim it’s a reference to the term “hoity-toity,” the French expression for pretentiousness and arrogance, referring to the perceived sentiment of the Ole Miss student body. (Coming from a south Mississippian, ~This is what everyone in the state outside of Oxford believes!) LOL!!
The earliest known reference to the phrase appeared in The Mississippian newspaper on November 19, 1926. The following excerpt appeared among a selection of cheers to be used during the next football game which was against arch-rival Mississippi State. A game Ole Miss won, 7-6, in Starkville.
“Heighty! Tighty!
Gosh A Mighty!
Who in the hell are we?
Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam!
Ole Miss, by Damn!”
Since then, with some slight variation, Rebel fans have passed down the cheer from generation to generation.
A Vibe
Ole Miss is different...
I get that all students at colleges and universities have pride and deep feelings derived from good times, good memories , and traditions, but having the personal ties that I have and having grown up in Mississippi, Ole Miss just hits differently!
Is it because they got their red and blue color scheme from Harvard and Yale respectively? Is it that they, in fact, call themselves the “Harvard of the South”? Or is it that they have an air of superiority over the rural/farm folks from the rest of the state? It seems that it’s probably a little of all of it.
It has been said that Ole Miss is in Mississippi, but could just as well be on another planet! LOL!
I am a Gen X-er and it drives me crazy when people talk about energy and vibes and the like. I need empirical data! But when people at, and from, Ole Miss talk about their school, one can begin to understand. It seems deeper somehow!
“The University gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never graduates from Ole Miss.”
“The University is buildings, trees, and people. Ole Miss is mood, emotion and personality. One is physical, and the other is spiritual. One is tangible, and the other intangible.”
~ Frank E. Everett, Jr., B.A. ’32, LLB ’34
Interesting Facts and Trivia
- Manning Speed Limit: The speed limit on campus is 18 MPH, in a nod to Ole Miss Legend Archie Manning.
- Mascot: The official mascot is the Rebel Black Bear, which replaced the previous mascot, Colonel Reb, in 2010. (Don’t get me started on this!)
- World’s First Human Lung Transplant: Surgeons at the University of Mississippi Medical Center performed the world’s first human lung transplant in 1963.
- Established in 1848: The university first opened its doors to 80 students and served as Mississippi’s only public institution of higher learning for 23 years.
- 4th Oldest Law School in the South: The School of Law was established in 1854, making it the fourth state-supported law school in the U.S. and one of the oldest in the South.
- Take to the Skies: Ole Miss was the first college football team to fly to a road game, taking a flight from Memphis to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls in 1937.
