jiggery-pokery

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jiggery-pokery

/ˌdʒɪɡ.ə.ɹiˈpəʊ.kə.ɹi/ UK
/ˌdʒɪɡ.ɚ.iˈpoʊ.kɚ.i/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Scots joukery-pawkery (“trickery; deceit”) Attested in English since the nineteenth century. The earliest known use was in the Berkshire Chronicle in 1845.

noun

uncountable Trickery or misrepresentation. 'Jiggery-pokery,' said Helena, 'you talk jiggery-pokery. Stop it, can't you?'
Similar: hanky-panky, skulduggery, trickery
uncountable Manipulation. ...under the present law, the averages were made up so faithfully and fairly as to prevent any jiggery-pokery.
euphemistic, uncountable Sexual intercourse. ...the males, like most birds, have no penis. But that doesn't stop a bit of gay jiggery-pokery.
Similar: copulation

Translations

Every language

noun trickery or misrepresentation

Español	cachondeo, trufa
日本語	誤魔化し gomakashi, 裏工作 ura kōsaku
Italiano	frottola, beffa
Русский	моше́нничество mošénničestvo, надувательство naduvatelʹstvo

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MLA

"jiggery-pokery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/jiggery-pokery. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

jiggery-pokery. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/jiggery-pokery

Chicago

"jiggery-pokery." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/jiggery-pokery.

BibTeX

@misc{jiggery_pokery_2026,
  title = {jiggery-pokery},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/jiggery-pokery},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}