Definition

Noun: A skiffle group is a small, informal musical ensemble that performs skiffle, a style of folk music with jazz and blues influences, popularized in the 1950s. It is characterized by the use of homemade or improvised instruments, such as washboards, tea-chest basses, and jugs, alongside more conventional acoustic guitars.

Usage

A skiffle group is a specific type of band. The term is used as a countable noun. - The most famous example is Lonnie Donegan's skiffle group, which inspired a generation of British musicians. - In the late 1950s, many young people in the UK formed their own skiffle groups.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Before they were The Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney played in a skiffle group called The Quarrymen.
  • The festival featured a traditional skiffle group playing on homemade instruments.

Advanced Usage

• The term is historically specific, strongly associated with the British music scene of the mid-20th century.
• It can be used descriptively to evoke a sense of DIY, grassroots musical culture from that era.

Variants and Related Words

• Skiffle (n): The music genre itself.
  • Skiffle became a national craze.
• Skiffler (n): A musician who plays skiffle (less common).

Synonyms

• Skiffle band: A direct synonym.
• Folk ensemble: A broader, more generic term, as skiffle is a type of folk music.

Related Idioms or Phrases

There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs for the compound noun "skiffle group."

Noun

1. a band of musicians who play skiffle