The ahooga part comes from the old Klaxon car horn, famous from early automobiles and then adopted by cartoons as a shorthand for alarm and silliness. Online, this Lumpy scream version spread through soundboards and short edits where creators pair classic cartoon noises with modern reactions, much like Cartoon Chase and the Woody Woodpecker Laugh. Its appeal is nostalgia mixed with surprise, since older viewers recognise the horn instantly while younger viewers just hear a perfectly timed, absurd panic noise for memes.