hooty

comparative hootier · superlative hootiest

1. Characterised by a hooting sound.

   The hooty noise came again and this time seemed much closer.

   2007, Caroline Plaisted, 10 Ways to Cope with Boys, page 65

   3 more examples

   Kegel has a distant, underpowered chorus and a dull orchestra. Tempos are too rushed for effect, and the interpretation is downright delicate - totally inappropriate. A hooty, scratchy soprano and a stiff baritone don't help.

   1988, Peter Hugh Reed, American record guide: Volume 51

   Berg's partner here, Sophie Daneman, a young British soprano, has a small, pure, lyric voice that occasionally turns hooty (characteristic of many Britsh sopranos).

   1998, American Record Guide - Volume 61, Issues 4-6, page 241

   Oh, there are plenty of animals in which males and females team up to raise young, as we do, that form “pair bonds” of impressive endurance and apparent mutual affection, spending hours reaffirming their partnership by snuggling together like prairie voles or singing hooty, doo-wop love songs like gibbons, or dancing goofily like blue-footed boobies.

   2008 March 18, Natalie Angier, “In Most Species, Faithfulness Is a Fantasy”, in New York Times

2. slangVery funny; hilarious; fit to make one hoot with laughter.

   In this hooty gay twist on those "choose your own adventure" paperbacks, you have to save yourself from zombie drag queens

   2003 June 10, “Great Summer Reading”, in The Advocate, number 891, page 47

   2 more examples

   It's the kind of hooty melodrama Burnett used to spoof, but new series doesn't know where to look for laughs, with lame ideas lamely written (a cavewoman discovers cow's milk; Burnett is forced to impersonate her own celebrity look-alike) and others (a gay guy in Antarctica, Spike Lee ripoffs) that are striving so hard to be hip.

   1994, Variety TV REV 1991-92 17, page 4

   Every time you turn around, there she is this summer in The Very best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection (Warner Bors. Records), not to mention her hooty '60s movies Good Times and Chastity (both MGM Home Video).

   2004, Pour Me a Video -, page 66