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Hokey Pokey

(US, Canada, Australia, preceded by definite article) A group dance performed in a circle, in which people move a variety of their body parts in and out of the middle, and shake them about.

hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯kiDocumented since 1850shistoricalCurrent45 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇦🇺 Australian & NZ slang
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Born ~1850 · 1 year of recorded use
1850Born2026: 1 citationToday, 2026

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Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(US, Canada, Australia, preceded by definite article) A group dance performed in a circle, in which people move a variety of their body parts in and out of the middle, and shake them about.

Origin: , compare the earlier-attested names for similar group circle dances from which the modern dance seems to have evolved, hinkumbooby from the 19th century and hankin booby from the 16th. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Heard in the wild
  • Reminds me of the Hitler dance school. No hokey pokey.

    Bluesky· May 2026
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Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.

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