English
hinky
Hinky may come from Scots hink.
- Scotsc. 1450–presenthinkuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1970hinky
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Scotsc. 1450–presenthinkuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1970hinky
Earliest quotation: 1970, 7 February 1970: Sgt. MacDonald, Re: Adam-12: “I thought he might be acting hinky.”
Every English word from Scots hink
Today it means
adj Acting suspiciously; strange, unusual; acting in a manner as if having something to hide, or seemingly crooked.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Scots hink / hinky