jiggery-pokery

From Scots joukery-pawkery "trickery; deceit". Attested in English since the nineteenth century.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌdʒɪɡ.ə.ɹiˈpəʊ.kə.ɹi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌdʒɪɡ.ɚ.iˈpoʊ.kɚ.i/

• Audio (AU)

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jiggery-pokery (uncountable)

1. Trickery or misrepresentation.
   • 2015, Peter Hain, Back to the Future of Socialism

     Much as 'off-balance sheet' jiggery-pokery and other 'creative accounting' allowed banks to get away with false impressions of their true financial position...

2. Manipulation.
   • 1892, Philip Stanhope, Lightning (journal), Letter XXVII:

     ...what my friend Singleton calls "rigging, cornering, and general jiggery-pokery methods,"...

3. (euphemistic) Sexual intercourse.
   • 2002, Olivia Judson, Dr Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation

     ...the males, like most birds, have no penis. But that doesn't stop a bit of gay jiggery-pokery.

• (trickery): hanky-panky, skulduggery, trickery
• (sexual intercourse): See Thesaurus:copulation