Meaning of Shenanigan | Babel Free

Definitions

1. singular of shenanigans: a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of mischievous play, especially by children.
   countable, form-of, in-plural, informal, singular
2. Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or behaviour; skulduggery, trickery; also, mischievous behaviour or play; high jinks.
   dated, informal, rare, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“I spotted his next shenanigan—saw⟳ it coming—and so avoided being fooled.”

“He then would state some of the principles of the party; First of all he would have⟳ them know⟳ it was on the square! and why was it on the square? Why? Because it didn't intend⟳ to "come⟳ the shenanigan"—that was it!”

“Abstrusus–In your answers to correspondence last⟳ week is given a definition to which I must except: An Irish word which you write⟳ ‘shenanigan’ is defined as being synonymous with our English word ‘humbug,’ thus depriving the natives of ‘the Breast-pin of the Ocean’ of the credit of great shrewdness in the use⟳ of the word.”

“We have⟳ a host⟳ of eagle-eyed natives, who will stand⟳ by the polls, and see⟳ that no shenanigan is played.”

“A longtime friend of [Ann] Richards and co-conspirator in many a shenanigan and act of political skulduggery, she [Liz Carpenter] had decided early in the fall⟳ to act on her conviction that something important had gone out of politics.”

“One of Professor [John] Moon's most astonishing "experiments," consisted of holding a watch⟳ suspended from a short chain at arm's length, and allowing anyone in the pit to pull⟳ pistol and "blaze away" at the word "fire," whereupon the watch⟳ would most unconscionably disappear⟳. An individual who had attended several evenings and witnessed the "experiment⟳," suspected, in the classic language of the times, that there was something of "shenanigan" in it.”

“There are stories still told how money was used and promised, but from the best knowledge I can acquire⟳, I think⟳ this is not true. If sharp practice was played, and "shenanigan" was used, we, to-day, looking back upon those times, cannot say⟳ that evil has come⟳ of it.”

CEFR level