A hootenanny is a lively, informal gathering where people play folk music, sing songs, and have a good time together. Picture a group of friends sitting around with guitars, banjos, and fiddles, taking turns playing tunes while everyone else claps along or joins in singing. Nobody's performing on a stage; there are no fancy microphones or lights. Instead, musicians share songs in a relaxed, friendly way, and anyone who knows how to play an instrument or carry a tune can jump in.

The word became especially popular in the 1960s during the folk music revival, when musicians like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez brought traditional American folk songs back into style. College students would organize hootenannies in coffeehouses or living rooms, passing guitars around and singing protest songs, old ballads, and new compositions late into the night.

Today, people still use hootenanny to describe any casual, spirited musical gathering, though you might also hear someone use it playfully to mean any kind of lively party or event. If your grandmother says, “What's all this hootenanny about?” when things get loud and energetic at a family celebration, she's using the word's fun, slightly old-fashioned feeling to describe the commotion.