skiffle
Definitions
WordNet 3.0
- n. A style of popular music in the 1950s; based on American folk music and played on guitars and improvised percussion instruments.
Another meaning of ‘skiffle’ is ‘rent party.’ At rent parties, which were thrown to raise money for rent, guests were charged a small fee.
Examples
“Country blues groups in the pre-war American south were sometimes described as skiffle acts, but it was Glasgow-born Lonnie Donegan who popularised the idea of making music with improvised instruments such as a washboard and tea-chest bass in the mid-50s.”
Colin Irwin, 'Lonnie Donegan brings the skiffle craze,' The Guardian, June 15, 2011
“Set in Brighton in 1963 on the cusp of Beatlemania, there's a terrific skiffle band playing before each act, and each principal actor takes a solo turn on a bizarre instrument, ranging from washboard to tuned car-horns.”
Paul Levy, 'Small-Screen Stars Shine on Stage,' The Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2011
“It's a rare reunion for the Old Line Skiffle Combo, a Maryland six-piece that plays traditional skiffle and rockabilly tunes using everything from a washboard to pedal-steel guitar to recreate the shufflin' '50s vibe.”
