Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hanky-panky

/ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.94 in modern English

Syllables: han-ky--panky
IPA: /ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/

29

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Mischievous behaviour; dishonest or shady activity.

Uncountable

noun

Amorous behaviour, making out, necking, sex or other sexual activity, especially if illicit.

Uncountable

noun

A debaucherous act; a sexual act that is considered inappropriate.

Uncountable

noun

A cocktail made from gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca fernet.

Countable

Example Sentences

"I think there was some hanky-panky with the last election."
"Are you sickened by the idea of more and more CIA hankypanky in Central America?"
"I don't wanna cry / I just wanna hanky panky / Nothing like a good spanky"
"You're my doll, rock and roll, feel the glamor in pink / Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky"

Etymology

Possibly a corruption of the Romani expression hakk'ni panki ("great trick", "big con" and hence "shady dealings").

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/

Usage

Inflected Forms

hanky-pankies (plural) hanky panky (alternative)

Synonyms

roll in the hay aphrodisia carnal knowledge coitus coition commerce commixtion congress conjunction connection consummation conversation

Questions

How do you pronounce hanky-panky?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/.
What does hanky-panky mean?: Mischievous behaviour; dishonest or shady activity.
Where does hanky-panky come from?: Possibly a corruption of the Romani expression hakk'ni panki ("great trick", "big con" and hence "shady dealings").

How to pronounce hanky-panky

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hanky-panky”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌhæŋkɪˈpæŋki/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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