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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hootenanny en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈhutənæni/ (UK)

Etymology

Unknown; potentially Scottish. Use is tied to the Appalachian culture in the US.

Meanings

  1. An informal, festive performance by folk singers, often including audience participation with the use of acoustic instruments.
    • It bespoke country’s devotion to realism, to songs about Saturday night’s hootenanny and Sunday morning’s moral reckoning, not to mention the kitchen-table truths of Monday through Friday. 2013 August 11, Jody Rosen, “Jody Rosen on the Rise of Bro-Country”, in New York Magazine:
    • The brain matches the mind-image of doughnuts to images and emotions stored in his brain’s memory regions: “Mmmm … doughnuts.” Then—bingo!—his brain’s dopamine-producing reward centres light up and have a rip-roaring hootenanny. 2012 December 21, Monique Keiran, “Humans get more nutrition from tastier food”, in Times Colonist, 155th year, number 10, Victoria, B.C.: TC Publication Limited Partnership, →ISSN, →OCLC, page A13, column 4:
  2. (obsolete) A placeholder word for a nonspecific or forgotten thing.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hootenannies Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

jam session

Synonyms

whachacallit · affair · thingymabob · gingambob · thingmabob · wotsit · frammis · kludge · whatdoyoucallit · gismo · dingus · gingumbob · thing · shebang · doodah · gimmick · thingumabob · whiff-whaff · Sorted alphabetically · stuff · thingamabobber · whatchamacallit · thingamafuck · dinglehopper · whatchamahoozie · thingummy · dohickey · gubbins · whaddayacallit · ting · hodad · doofer · thingamabob · whatnot · dealie · gadget · whatdyecallem · chingadera · doovalacky · whosiewhatsit · thingmajig · yokibus · hootenanny · jobber · thingummabob · whachamacallit · geegaw · rigamajig · foobar · dongle · dojigger · MacGuffin · jobby · thingo · thingumajig · doohickus · junk · whatsit · foo · thingamajig · bazinga · thingmy · thingamajiggy · whatsitsname · kajigger · gewgaw · dealy · thingummajig · hickey · joint · widget · whatsaname · thingamajig · bizzo · jimbang · wossisname · thingy · doober · thingie · doohickey · whatchacallit · thingum · jawn · doohinkey · oojamaflip · wossname · doodad · thingymajig · doo-hickey · doohinkus · frobnitz · jigger · thingummyjig · whatsis · yoke · doojigger · thingabob · thingamajigger · gizmo · whosit · Sorted by number of Google hits