Hinky

[Tom Dalzell]

At page 86 of the first edition:

Handsome queer boys who had come to Hollywood to be cowboys walked around, wetting their
eyebrows with hincty fingertip.


Tom Dalzell

Alexey Fuchs wrote:

> I remember (actually, I learned) the word "hincty" from Kerouac's "On the
> Road".
> If Kerouac's "On the Road" is handy and searchable, it might be useful in
> this thread; I do not remember the exact meaning of it in the novel (I think
> it was "snooty", but this discussion might have led me off the track).
>
>                                                                                 A.Fuchs
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu]On Behalf
> > Of Douglas G. Wilson
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 16:26
> > To: ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu
> > Subject: Re: Hinky
> >
> >
> > >... 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
> >