shenanigann.
/ʃɪˈnanɪɡən/ Originally U.S.
Trickery, skulduggery, machination, intrigue; teasing, ‘kidding’, nonsense; (usually plural) a plot, a trick, a prank, an exhibition of high spirits, a carry-on.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > planning > plotting > [noun]
compassinga1300
contrivingc1330
undermining1433
imagininga1449
engininga1450
practising?1545
machinationc1550
packing1587
plotting1593
contrival1602
managing1607
tamperinga1627
practicking1640
texturea1641
contrivance1647
briguing1657
intrigue1668
intriguing1801
policizing1809
scheming1813
intriguery1815
schemery1822
plottery1823
shenanigan1855
game playing1916
shenaniganning1924
wheeler-dealing1968
wheeling and dealing1969
wheeling-dealing1973
society > leisure > entertainment > frolicking or romping > [noun] > a frolic
oliprancec1390
ragerya1393
vague1523
rex1566
friskin1570
gambol1573
reak1573
prank1576
vagary1588
whirligig1589
caper1592
prinkum-prankum1596
firk1611
frolica1635
carryings-on1663
ramp1696
romp1713
freak1724
scheme1758
rig1782
lark1811
escapade1814
gammock1819
gambade1821
enfantillage1827
game1828
shines1830
rollick1834
rusty1835
high jinksa1845
escapado1849
shenanigan1855
rum-tum1876
panta1901
gas1914
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > [noun]
legerdemain1532
hocus-pocus1647
sham1683
funning1728
humbugging1752
humming1807
hoaxing1808
larking1813
cutting-up1843
cut-up1843
shenanigan1855
codology1860
greening1863
cod1866
leg-pulling1879
spoof1889
codding1892
spoofery1895
four-flushing1901
kidding1901
shenaniganning1924
kidology1964
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > [noun] > a trick, prank, hoax
pratOE
mowa1393
pageant?c1430
jimp?1572
prank1576
jest1578
jig1592
frump1593
trick1605
bilk1664
fun1699
plisky1706
humbug1750
hum1751
practical joke1751
marlock1763
quiz1795
practical joke1804
skite1804
hoax1808
skit1815
wrinkle1817
rusty1835
funny business1838
string1851
stringer1851
cod1862
mank1865
spoof1889
leg-pull1893
rannygazoo1896
shenanigan1926
gotcha1967
to throw a fastball1968
wind-up1984
1855 Town Talk (San Francisco) 25 Apr. 2 Are you quite sure? No shenanigan?
1856 Spirit of Age (Sacramento, Calif.) 30 Apr. 2 These facts indicate that there is some shenanegan going on.
1857 C. E. De Long Jrnl. 15 Aug. in Calif. Hist. Soc. Q. (1930) IX. 156 Race came off Whiskey Bill winner, the Mare's rider held in, and Smith pronouncing it shenanigan.
1862 ‘M. Twain’ Let. May (1917) I. iii. 77 Consider them all..guilty (of ‘shenanigan’) until they are proved innocent.
1871 Evening Post (Chicago) Jan. (Schele de Vere 632) To go to work and try better next time, instead of fooling members of Congress by a pair of black eyes... No shenannigan, Vinnie!
1877 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 4) Shenanigan. 1. A trick in which there is cheating. California. 2. Chaff; foolery; nonsense, especially when advanced to cover some scheme or little game. Yale College.
1893 E. J. Milliken 'Arry Ballads 80/2 Never mind their shenanigan, Charlie; it don't do much 'urt, anyhow.
1897 Outing 29 483/1 A man who is firmly kind, but who will stand no shinanigan.
1901 W. S. Walker In the Blood xxxi. 332 We're mates all round, an' no more shenannikin.
1901 R. Barr Victors v. 81 If I were to pay them they might think there was some shenanigan about it.
1926 E. Ferber Show Boat xiv. 305 I'd never had a fight on my boat and wasn't going to begin any such low life shenanigans now.
1928 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 10 Mar. 11/2 The renunciation of Mr Coolidge was a distinct disappointment to the great mass of the Republican Party,..and this left the way open for some astute shenanigan in various states.
1930 ‘S. S. Van Dine’ Scarab Murder Case xv. 212 There's too much shenanigan going on around here to suit me. I want action.
1935 S. O'Casey Let. c10 Feb. (1975) I. 540 It is really hateful that I should be compelled to turn my thoughts to the pious shinanachin of a few Jesuits & a group of Methodist Preachers.
1936 ‘R. Hyde’ Passport to Hell x. 152 Two more followed him to take care of him and see he didn't lose his pay-roll shenannigin in his Irish way with the mademoiselles.
1938 J. I. Rodale King's Eng. on Horseback 137/1 Mischief,..Shenanigins.
1960 T. Griffith Waist-high Culture ii. 81 Readers [of newspapers] do not recognize every shenanigan inflicted upon them.
1969 in H. Halpert & G. M. Story Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland 90 The entire household looks on, laughing at the girls' shenanigans.
1973 Nation Rev. (Melbourne) 31 Aug. 1448/2 (heading) Shennanigans behind the silver screen.
1974 Ridge Citizen (Johnston, S. Carolina) 18 Apr. 2/1 We don't condone whatever wrongdoing or shenanigans that may have taken place at Watergate or elsewhere.
1976 ‘R. Lewis’ Witness my Death ii. 56 There might have been a certain amount of shenanigans going on behind the scenes.
1978 N.Y. Mag. 3 Apr. 16/2 House Calls—Glenda Jackson, Art Carney, Richard Benjamin, and Charlie Matthau in a film directed by Howard Zieff, about medical shenanigans in and out of a hospital.
1980 Times 3 Jan. 10/4 Doubtful political shenanigans..in the Central Pacific.
Derivatives
shenanigan v.
ΚΠ
1894 M. J. Jaques Texan Ranch Life xiii. 115 He assured me that he was not ‘shenan-neganning’ me, and that the dish would prove a delicacy.
sheˈnaniganning adj. and n. (also sheˈnanigin, sheˈnaniging)
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > frolicking or romping > [noun]
rampinga1425
daffing1535
May game1571
horseplay1590
hoiting1594
wantonizing1598
roguery1611
romperinga1625
hoity-toity1668
frolicking1676
frolic1677
romping1694
wantoning1701
vagary1791
skylarking1809
larking1813
rollicking1823
high-jinking1891
shenaniganning1924
grab-ass1948
mollocking1959
bants2008
society > leisure > entertainment > frolicking or romping > [adjective]
ramping1484
rampish1530
frolic?1548
prankya1556
hoiting1594
tricksy1598
tida1641
frolickish1660
romping1662
hoity-toity1690
rompish1696
frolicsome1699
friskful1728
highty-tighty1737
frolicky1748
prankish1776
rollicking1786
prankfula1795
pranksome1810
tricksome1815
espiègle1816
larkish1823
skylarking1826
larking1828
rompy1838
larky1841
rollicksome1841
Pucklike1845
rollicky1846
frolicful1848
larksome1871
puckish1874
horseplayish1882
frolicking1887
tricksical1889
shenaniganning1924
the mind > will > intention > planning > plotting > [noun]
compassinga1300
contrivingc1330
undermining1433
imagininga1449
engininga1450
practising?1545
machinationc1550
packing1587
plotting1593
contrival1602
managing1607
tamperinga1627
practicking1640
texturea1641
contrivance1647
briguing1657
intrigue1668
intriguing1801
policizing1809
scheming1813
intriguery1815
schemery1822
plottery1823
shenanigan1855
game playing1916
shenaniganning1924
wheeler-dealing1968
wheeling and dealing1969
wheeling-dealing1973
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > [noun]
legerdemain1532
hocus-pocus1647
sham1683
funning1728
humbugging1752
humming1807
hoaxing1808
larking1813
cutting-up1843
cut-up1843
shenanigan1855
codology1860
greening1863
cod1866
leg-pulling1879
spoof1889
codding1892
spoofery1895
four-flushing1901
kidding1901
shenaniganning1924
kidology1964
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > [adjective] > employing trickery
trifling?a1400
bantering1660
hoaxing1808
mystifyingc1827
bluffing1850
four-flushing1901
spoofing1920
shenaniganning1924
1924 J. Masefield Sard Harker iii. 146 Now, brother, answer me and no damned shinanniking.
1940 D. Thomas Portrait of Artist as Young Dog 122 No shananacking in the old moonlight.
1947 W. Greenwood Cure for Love i. 23 ‘Here, listen, you two. No shinanigin'.’..‘Shinanigin’? What's that?’..‘Shinanigin’? Well-er-it's... Well-er-just shinanigin’... Messing about.’
1948 D. Ballantyne Cunninghams i. vi. 34 You see you go tomorrow, then... No shinnanicking now.
1973 B. Bainbridge Dressmaker 11 They'd all catch their death of cold shenanniging about in the middle of the night.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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