hoky-poky

English

Pronunciation

Homophone: hokey-pokey

Adjective

hoky-poky (comparative more hoky-poky, superlative most hoky-poky)

1. Fraudulent; trickish.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 119, The Candles”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

     Such a funny, sporty, gamy, jesty, joky, hoky-poky lad, is the Ocean, oh!

   • 1876, Benjamin D-------, his little dinner:

     And that hoky-poky owner smiled a grim and sordid smile / As he saw his vessel vanish round a corner of the isle !

Noun

hoky-poky

1. Alternative form of hokey pokey (“frozen snack”)
   • 1909, Charter and devised ordinances of Kansas City:

     No person, firm or corporation shall see, exchange or deliver, or have in his or their possession with intent to sell, exchange or deliver, any ice cream, ice milk, hoky poky or frozen substance of which milk or cream containing less than twelve (12) per cent of butter fat shall form a component part […]