Hinky

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Wed Feb 20 14:25:59 UTC 2002


>... I don't think they are the same word. _Hinky_ as in 'dubious,
>suspicious, out of kilter,' etc. comes from Scots. _hink_, a hesitation, a
>misgiving; this can indeed have the synonym _hincty_; _hincty_ as in
>'snobbish, haughty', and generally seen as African-American, has a
>different eymology ....

I think they probably are the same word, although this is just my casual
impression.

I agree that "hinky"/"hinkty" probably originated as the adjective form of
"hink" = "hesitation"/"hitch [in walking]". I think the sense probably
evolved from "hesitating" to "[feeling] hesitant/doubtful/suspicious" to
"[appearing] doubtful/suspicious/fishy" ["He became hinky when he saw the
crude patches on his parachute." vs. "His parachute looked hinky, with
crude patches."].

I think "hinkty" = "snobbish" probably shows a parallel evolution from
"[feeling] doubtful/suspicious" to "squeamish"/"fastidious" to
"snooty"/"uppity". ["The driver is hinkty about picking up hitchhikers."
vs. "The hitchhiker felt that the driver was too hinkty to pick him up."]

Years ago (maybe 1960's or so), I occasionally heard "hinkty" (not "hinky",
which I heard later, and which I probably encountered first in a police
novel or so). I can't recall hearing "hinkty" exactly meaning "haughty"
(although of course some have used it so); as I recall the sense in my own
experience seemed to range from
"fidgety"/"restless"/"uncomfortable"/"hesitant" to "fussy"/"squeamish" --
when I was able to interpret it at all. But I've heard usages along the
line of "The doorman got hinkty about letting me in." -- where I think the
progression from "dubious" or "hesitant" to "snooty" might be natural.

-- Doug Wilson



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