Brittany: Convivial times (8.01.03)

George Sassoon reports on a side effect of the Tour de France "Once I was in Brittany, and the roads were closed for the Tour de France. Traffic at a standstill. We repaired to a local cafe, became very friendly with the proprietor, until he finally closed the cafe and took us all out for a meal. Then we went on to the house of a man known as Pierrot le Biniou - the biniou is an ear-splitting Breton bagpipe - I had my Scottish bagpipes in the car and a litre of duty-free whisky, so the resultant hooley can only be imagined and could not have taken place in a non-Celtic country. I remember Pierrot showing me a sign that he had acquired from an old cafe that was being demolished: "C"est defendu de cracher ou de parler Breton".(It ks forbidden to spit or to speak Breton). These days, of course, the Bretons are taking over Paris and there are signs in it everywhere. I am beginning to think that the best way to preserve a language is to make it illegal. The dead hand of bureaucratic encouragement can only kill it".

RH: Why on earth would anyone travel in France with bagpipes in his car? To scare away dangerous characters?

Since I lead a silent monastic life, I did not know the word "hooley". The OED defines it as "A noisy party, a spree (see also quots. 1877 BARTLETT Dict. Amer. (ed. 4) 302 Huly, a noise, uproar. "To raise huly." New England. 1947 Bealoideas XVII. 273 Hooley, a dance or "spree" in a private house, often to celebrate a wedding, etc. 1950 Ibid. XX. 191 Wholee, Hooley, a party or dance in a country house. John gave a right wholee last night. 1960 News-Call Bulletin (San Francisco) 4 Jan. 16/1 She can be seen at all the best hoolies in town. 1966 "L. LANE" ABZ of Scouse 50 "ooley, a dispute, a fight or a riot. 1966 Listener 12 May 687/2 Sir Laurence tries to make it one of those peculiar Irish occasions, a hooley: swinging from wild hilarity to nostalgic sadness.quots.)". It appears to be a modern word derived from Irish. Nor do I know the word quots WAISers are advised to avoid hooley, quots and bagpipes. Scotch may be taken to fight off any or all of these.