Hootnanny (1918)

[sagehen]

Hootnanny/ Hootenanny

My first encounter with this word was as the tradename of a pantograph
marketed as a child's toy, late 30s or early 40s.   Can't remember if it
was spelled with or without the /e/ or which mfr. produced it. I suppose it
was the sense of thingamajig that was being referred  to.
A. Murie
~~~~~~~~

>Here "hootnanny" means "louse", apparently. Perhaps this is a
>specialization of the usual early sense
>"whatchamacallit"/"doohickey"/"thingamajig".
>
>----------
>
>_Evening State Journal and Lincoln Daily News_, Lincoln NE, 14 Feb. 1918:
>p. 2, col. 4:
>
>[by "Bugs" Baer, from New York]
>
><<There is a lawsuit on record in Chicago as unique as a country hotel
>without hootnannies. A hootnanny is what the soldiers call a cootie.>>
>
>----------
>
>-- Doug Wilson


A&M Murie
N. Bangor NY
sagehen at westelcom.com