To Give a Hoot or to Not Give a Hoot – That is the question
After writing about a Three Dog Night, I got to thinking about other common and not-so-common expressions that might have a place in the early childhood classroom.
Who remembers this campaign?
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, to Give a Hoot is
to call or shout in disapproval or scorn,” c.1600, probably related to or a variant of Middle English houten, huten “to shout, call out” (c.1200), probably ultimately imitative. First used of bird cries, especially that of the owl, mid-15c. R
So, if you care about or support something, you show this by hooting. If you don’t care for it, you don’t give hoots. Easy enough.
Instead of voting, why not encourage children to give hoots for their choices; i.e. “Give a hoot if you want to go to the playground,” or “Give a hoot if you want to sing the —- song.” Rather than raising hands, children can hoot. Encourage them to give 2 or 3 hoots if it is something they really want, and then explain that if they don’t give a hoot, (or 2 hoots as the saying goes) they should keep quiet. 