nigger in the woodpile
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nigger in the woodpile
Where it comes from
First attested in the 1840s.
noun niggers in the woodpile · niggers in woodpiles · nigger in the wood-pile · nigger in the wood pile
-
A hidden motive, influence or factor; a concealed (potential) snag; something suspicious.
Democra s^([sic]) placed no nigger in the woodpile—the imputation came with a bad grace from the gentleman from Kosciusko.
Similar: nigger in the fence, Ethiopian in the woodpile, monkey in the woodpile
Translations
Every language
noun Translations
| Español | gato encerrado |
|---|---|
| Français | anguille sous roche, couille |
| Deutsch | Kuckucksei |
Talk about this word "nigger in the woodpile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/nigger%20in%20the%20woodpile. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. nigger in the woodpile. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/nigger%20in%20the%20woodpile "nigger in the woodpile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/nigger%20in%20the%20woodpile.Cite this
@misc{nigger_in_the_woodpile_2026,
title = {nigger in the woodpile},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/nigger%20in%20the%20woodpile},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
