hoe-down not in DARE

[Joel S. Berson]

At 2/8/2014 12:10 AM, Ben Zimmer wrote:
>On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 11:53 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>... I wouldn't be able to distinguish a hoe-down
> > from a hootenanny (if there is one), and have no idea whether a
> rave qualifies
> > as either, but if you tell me you went to a hoe-down, I know that
> you went to a
> > place where people were dancing, and that was probably a rural
> get-together.
> > I assume there are regions where people know the precise meaning
> of this term.
>
>That was also probably Paul McCartney's understanding of the term when
>he was looking for a rhyme for "showdown" in "Rocky Raccoon."

Lack of understanding?  :-)

Joel

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