Colloquial Etymology

Sometimes a word falls out of my mouth and I don’t know where it came from. This can sometimes get one in trouble, so I like to look it up.
Today I’m wondering how hootenanny turned into pootinanny in American slang

The word hootenanny originated in the Appalachian area of the United States, a region heavily settled by Scottish immigrants. Hootenanny is a Scottish word for party or celebration. Originally, Americans used the word hootenanny as a placeholder name, in the same manner one would use the words doohickey or thingamajig.


:roll_eyes:

2 Likes

Perhaps by association with at least one other word starting with poo- or pu-:speak_no_evil: :2cents:

(This is assuming it’s not just some random thing a person made up and posted for fun, like chasing pavements.)

My great grandmother used to say Pootininny. I’m pretty sure that’s not what she meant

These damn kids and their pudendalical slang.
A few years ago I was working with this kid (from the US). Nice kid, I liked him. I took to calling him Cooter, like the guy from DofH.
He never said nothing, but after a couple weeks this other girl, who was close to his age, comes to me and says I should stop calling him that,
I asked why, and she tells me it means lady parts.
The fuck??

Who can keep up, I swear

1 Like

72e07b384d3ad8656b96f19468c33f04

1 Like

I would guess the reassignment of meaning arose from an initial mispronunciation that eventually morphed into a connection with the words poontang or punani.

I, for one, greatly enjoy the long and stupid list of words we can use to refer to the genitals. “Tallywhacker” is a good one.

@Hanna Music from Iceland
I wonder how old punani is. It could be that Granny was just mispronouncing; I mean she called them flaquities instead of fajitas

Okay @Hanna wins this round

1 Like

Im beginning to think I’m the only word-nerd in the group.
When my son was 10 or so, he saved up his birthday money and bought matching Latin and Greek dictionaries. Not your typical kid. I think I get it from him, not vice versa. His enthusiasm is infectious.
Word for today

3 Likes
2 Likes

:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Nick of Time
I do wonder why some terms persist.

Now, while “humble pie” goes back to the French, “take it on the lam” is English in origin. Years ago, in England, “lamming” was a game played with dice and a large tube of ointment. Each player in turn threw dice and then jumped around the room until he started bleeding. If a person threw seven or under he would say the word “quintz” and proceed to spin quickly. If he threw over seven, he was forced to give every player a part of his feathers and was given a good “lamming.” Three “lammings” and a player was “kwirled” or declared immoral. Gradually any game with feathers was called “lamming” and feathers became “lams.” To “take it on the lam” meant to put on feathers and later, to escape, although the transition is unclear.-Woody Allen

1 Like