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- The phrase "play hooky" is a playful way to talk about avoiding responsibilities, especially school or work, without permission. It's like taking a secret mini-vacation when you're supposed to be somewhere else. This phrase has a mischievous ring to it, but it's usually not about serious rule-breaking.
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Dec 3, 2023 · December 3, 2023. "Play hooky" is a colloquial phrase that means to deliberately avoid going to school, work, or an obligation, typically without permission or a legitimate reason. It's often used in a light-hearted or casual context, suggesting a small act of rebellion or a break from routine rather than something serious or harmful.
1. : curved or bent like a hook. Her nose was long and hooky, and she had no teeth—or if she had them, they weren't in her mouth. K. C. Constantine. His coal-black, glossy hair commanded and obtained her admiration, and she found his hooky nose to be handsome. Anthony Trollope. 2. music : appealing and easy to remember : catchy.
When you play hooky, you take the day off from what you're supposed to be doing. A man who goes to the beach instead of to his job at a bank decides to play hooky. The classic example of someone who plays hooky is a kid who skips school, or is truant.
The expression 'to play hooky (or hookey),' meaning 'to skip school,' has been around since the 19th century. John Bartlett in his 1848 Dictionary of 'Frosh', 'cute', and 7 other words created at school
Play Hooky. The phrase 'Play Hooky' means to skip school, work or any other obligation without a justified excuse. Example of use: “My friends are playing hooky today so that they can be first in line to buy tickets for the concert tonight”.
Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work . In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it , meaning “escape.” [Mid-1800s]
play hooky. Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work. In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it, meaning "escape." [Mid-1800s] See also: play.
