student asking question

What does “that a boy” stand for? How can I use it?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"That-a-boy" is a slang term short for "That's a boy". You might also see it spelled as "attaboy". It means "you can do it" or "come on", but said to a boy. However, it is an older expression and it's not very common among English speakers now.

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