"hokey cokey"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/26/2013 01:37 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>I expect "hocus-pocus" (for the meaning) and/or "hokey-pokey" (for
>the sound) might be involved, although I have no speculation for the
>/p/ > /k/ part of it.  Maybe assimilation from the /k/ of the second
>syllable(s)?  Hic-haec-hoc > Hic-haec-coke?

I too think of "hocus-pocus" rather than cocaine.  But also, doesn't
"hockey puck" have an association with shit, and particularly
bullshit?  (Researching this would overwhelm me, but I find early on
"The first Hockey puck ever used was a frozen piece of cow
poop.")  So "hokey cokey" as "fakery, delusion" might have arisen
from a combining and alteration of "hocus-pocus" and "hockey puck"?

Joel

P.S.  Following on from POTUS and FLOTUS, are there also HOCUS and POCUS?

JSB

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