hoot owl
In Appalachian and Southern speech, a "hoot owl" is the country name for the great horned owl (and sometimes barred owl). Beyond the bird itself, the hoot owl carries folklore weight as an omen or a sign heard in the night.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
People call just about any owl makin' a racket a 'hoot owl.' Pronunciation
[HOOT-owl]
Meaning & Usage
- The great horned owl (noun)
Mae:
What bird’s makin’ that racket?
What bird’s makin’ that racket?
Earl:
That’s just a hoot owl down in the holler.
That’s just a hoot owl down in the holler.- A sign or omen in folklore (noun, figurative)
Mae:
Hush now - hear that hoot owl?
Hush now - hear that hoot owl?
Earl:
Some say it’s a warnin’ of bad luck comin’.
Some say it’s a warnin’ of bad luck comin’.other spellings: great horned owl
★ Southerners and Appalachians often treat a hoot owl’s call with respect - part wild bird, part superstition. In stories, its hoot can sound lonesome, spooky, or wise. ★
Origin
The term "hoot owl" comes from the bird’s deep, echoing hoot. Early settlers in Appalachia and the South gave plain, descriptive names to animals, and "hoot owl" stuck as a rural term.
Notes
Still common in Southern and Appalachian talk. Outside the region, people usually say "great horned owl," but in the hills and hollers, it’s just the "hoot owl." Folklore around the call lingers strongest in Appalachia.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "hoot-owl." The two words run together in Southern speech, often sounding like one: "hoot-owl."