hokey-pokey: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal
Quick answer
What does “hokey-pokey” mean?
A children's song and dance with actions in which participants shake different parts of their body.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A children's song and dance with actions in which participants shake different parts of their body.
1) Nonsense, humbug, deception. 2) (British, dated) Cheap, low-quality ice cream sold by street vendors.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The dance meaning is dominant in AmE. In BrE, the dance is also known, but the historical meaning of cheap ice cream exists in older usage.
Connotations
AmE: primarily playful, childish. BrE: potentially nostalgic or old-fashioned (ice cream), but also playful (dance).
Frequency
Most common in AmE due to the popularity of the children's activity. In BrE, the ice cream meaning is now rare.
Grammar
How to Use “hokey-pokey” in a Sentence
do + the + hokey-pokeyplay + hokey-pokeysing + the + hokey-pokeyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hokey-pokey” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We hokey-pokeyed around the room until the teacher told us to sit down.
American English
- They spent the party hokey-pokeying to the silly song.
adverb
British English
- He was dancing hokey-pokey, much to the embarrassment of his teenage son.
American English
- She moved hokey-pokey around the circle, following the instructions.
adjective
British English
- It was a hokey-pokey ice cream cart from the old days.
American English
- The whole plan had a hokey-pokey feel to it—not to be taken seriously.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Could be a metaphorical critique: "His proposal is just hokey-pokey."
Academic
Only in historical or cultural studies discussing children's folklore.
Everyday
Primarily when referring to the children's dance or activity.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hokey-pokey”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hokey-pokey”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hokey-pokey”
- Spelling: hokey-poky, hokey pokey, hokey cokey (UK variant).
- Using it in a formal context.
- Confusing the dance meaning with the archaic nonsense meaning.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are essentially the same dance. 'Hokey cokey' is a common British variant, while 'hokey-pokey' is more common in American English.
No, it is informal. Use it only if you are specifically discussing the dance or the concept of nonsense in a cultural context.
Primarily, yes, in modern English. However, it historically referred to cheap ice cream or deception/nonsense. The other meanings are now rare or archaic.
It likely comes from a 19th-century phrase 'hocus-pocus', a magician's incantation, suggesting trickery or nonsense.
A children's song and dance with actions in which participants shake different parts of their body.
Hokey-pokey: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhəʊ.ki ˈpəʊ.ki/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhoʊ.ki ˈpoʊ.ki/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's all hokey-pokey.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'pokey' (slow) dance that is 'hokey' (corny or contrived). It's a silly, repetitive dance.
Conceptual Metaphor
NONSENSE IS A SILLY DANCE (e.g., His argument was just a lot of hokey-pokey.)
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a historical meaning of 'hokey-pokey'?