three cheers for

three cheers for (someone or something)

(Give) three shouts of joy, approval, appreciation, or congratulations (for someone or something). Sometimes used ironically, sarcastically, or humorously. Three cheers for Sarah, whose brilliant goal at the last minute won us the game! At long last the day is nearly over; three cheers for the weekend!
See also: cheers, three
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

three cheers for

Good for, hurrah for, congratulations to, as in Three cheers for our mayor! Hip, hip, hooray! Why one should shout one's encouragement or approbation three times rather than two or four is unclear. A shouted cheer presumably originated as a nautical practice, if we are to believe Daniel Defoe in Captain Singleton (1720): "We gave them a cheer, as the seamen call it." Three cheers was first recorded in 1751. The term is also used sarcastically, when one is not really offering congratulations, as in So you finally passed; well, three cheers for you.
See also: cheers, three
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

three cheers for —

three successive hurrahs expressing appreciation or congratulation of someone or something.
Qualified approval or mild enthusiasm is sometimes expressed by two cheers for — , as in the title of E. M. Forster 's book Two Cheers for Democracy ( 1951 ).
1998 Zest So three cheers for The Body Shop's Community Trade programme, which is helping organic bergamot farms thrive once more.
See also: cheers, three
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • three cheers
  • three cheers for (someone or something)
  • three musketeers
  • three squares
  • three squares (a day)
  • three squares a day
  • a hat trick
  • hat trick
  • three score and ten
  • three-strike(s) rule
References in classic literature
Three cheers for Marmee!" cried Jo, prancing about while Meg went to conduct Mother to the seat of honor.
Little Women
"Three cheers for moral science!" cried Smilash, ecstatically breaking into the outrageous dialect he had forgotten in his wrath.
Unsocial Socialist
'But my song I troll out, for CHRISTMAS Stout, The hearty, the true, and the bold; A bumper I drain, and with might and main Give three cheers for this Christmas old!
The Posthumous Papers Of The Pickwick Club
Sedley descended into the welcome shore-boat which was to take them from the ship, the whole crew, men and officers, the great Captain Bragg himself leading off, gave three cheers for Major Dobbin, who blushed very much and ducked his head in token of thanks.
Vanity Fair
And consequently three cheers for the United Aggregate Tribunal!
Hard Times
And therefore three cheers for Nantucket; and come a stove boat and stove body when they will, for stave my soul, Jove himself cannot.
Moby Dick I LXVII
After which the yeomen gave three cheers for the Queen and three more for her page, and drank toasts to them both, rising to their feet.
Robin Hood
"Three cheers for the Moon!" roared the Gun Club, with one voice.
From The Earth To The Moon
"Three cheers for Miss Shirley, winner of the Avery!"
Anne Of Green Gables
Alice Robinson proposed that the school should sing Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!
Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm
Plastic bottles And Glastonbury thinking Let's all go green And see what happens Let's go organic And see what happens What do we want To make a better life What do we need More sugar and spice Plastic bottles And pollution are Bringing us problems What do we do With all the rubbish I have no answers At the moment But the supermarkets Should lead the way And we need more Education and training For our children As for trade we We need to make our Own goods and Build houses it could Be a start three cheers For our great Island Let's get the economy Moving and help the NHS and make it a Fairer society
POEM OF THE DAY; Plastic bottles
Summary: New Delhi [India], Sep 6 (ANI): 'Three cheers for the Supreme Court,' screamed Bollywood as the apex court on Thursday decriminalised homosexuality.
SC decriminalises homosexuality: B-Town hails 'historical judgment'
THREE cheers for the cheerleaders rang out as the Hipperholme Thunders took a top trophy.
Cheerleaders' hip-hip hooray
THREE cheers for the commitment shown by Welsh Secretary David Jones MP towards securing a PS300 million upgrade to the North Wales railway network.
We need this vital rail investment now; DAILY POST OUR VIEW
Three cheers for Gary, three cheers for Mrs Brown's Boys.
Boys oh boys; RecordView