hooky-crookyadj.n.
A. adj.
Not straightforward, perverse, dishonest.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > crookedness > [adjective]
crooked?c1225
sinister?1455
indirect1570
undirect1594
involved1612
obliquous1614
unstraight1650
back-handed1800
tortuous1801
twistical1805
louche1819
hooky-crooky1833
underhand1842
twisty1857
underhanded1864
bent1914
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [adjective] > not straightforward
crooked?c1225
indirect1570
undirect1594
involved1612
unstraight1650
obliquous1757
tortuous1801
twistical1805
louche1819
hooky-crooky1833
sinuous1850
twisty1905
1833 Fraser's Mag. 8 201 [They] manage to keep themselves..by hookey-crookey gambling ways, as brother Jonathan would say.
B. n.
An underhand act or practice.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > dishonesty > dishonest action > [noun] > instance
hooky-crooky1830
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [noun] > dishonesty > instance
hooky-crooky1830
1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd II. v. iv. 141 He was coming round me with one of his hooky-crookies.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.n.1830