hootenanny [hoot -n-an-ee, hoot -nan-]
Examples Word Origin
noun, plural hoot·en·an·nies. a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing and, sometimes, dancing. an informal session at which folk singers and instrumentalists perform for their own enjoyment. Older Use a thingumbob. Show More
Origin of hootenanny First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for hootenanny Contemporary Examples of hootenanny The first four letters in hootenanny spell hoot -- and The Seeger Sessions was fun -- with a purpose.
The hootenanny on political websites about the contest being up for grabs is shilling for advertising dollars.
British Dictionary definitions for hootenanny hootenanny hootnanny (ˈhuːtˌnænɪ )
an informal performance by folk singers mainly US something the name of which is unspecified or forgotten Show More
Word Origin for hootenanny C20: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for hootenanny n. "informal session of folk musicians," 1940, American English, earlier "a gadget" (1927), of unknown origin, perhaps a nonsense word.
Another device used by the professional car thief, and one recently developed to perfection, according to a large Chicago lock-testing laboratory, is a "hootenanny," so-called by the criminals using it. ["Popular Mechanics," February 1931] Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
