I stopped quoting from James Leisy's book one paragraph too soon. I turned the page and found this: ... "As might be expected, critics subsequently began arguing as to precisely what kind of affair was technically a hootenanny. Some argued that if certain people were picked to sing it was a hoot - but if anyone could pick and sing it wasn't. Fortunatly there were enough people around who didn't give a hoot about such hair-splitting so that common usage has remained uncomplicated and general in meaning." (rather clever I'd say ... but I do remember some of those stupid aurguments.) Bob