I'm a little confused here:
was the thread title meant to be
'about Westward Ho!' and it came out 'Ha!' instead??


There is a USA connection to the Ha variation of the phrase.
Humo[u]rist S. J. Perelman collaborated with
the famous cartoonist Al Hirschfeld on a book titled:

Westward Ha! or,
Around the World in Eighty Clichés.

I haven't looked at it yet.