What is a ‘cahoot’?
And what does it mean to be ‘in cahoots’ with someone?
Well, it seems to mean nothing good, for a start!.
If you are just working with someone you might be ‘in partnership’ but if you are said to be ‘in cahoots’ you sound more like a gang of bank robbers.
Jessie Sheidlower in one of his Jesse’s Word of the Day columns said that it almost always has ‘a suggestion of some questionable or nefarious purpose’, and the great Jonathon Green in his massive Cassell Dictionary of Slang, says it usually implies ‘a slightly disreputable or surreptitious alliance.’
The word seems to have come into English around 1827 from a French word that meant ‘cabin’ or ‘hut.’
It was in American English that this word ‘cahoot’ first appeared—and remember that the American language has had a long connection with French because of the so-called ‘Louisiana Purchase’ that gave America Louisiana and parts of some 14 other states.
This made the Yankee language very open to imports from French—such as this word ‘cahoot.’
When it first appeared in American English it had no suggestion of criminal activity, or of a gang getting together for nefarious purposes.
It simply meant a partnership.
And that sort of follows from the French source word—it supposes a partnership or team who share the same small space (a ‘cabin’ or ‘hut’).
An alternative explanation, favoured by John Bartlett, of Bartlett’s Quotations, connects it with 'cohort'—but personally I find the French / American explanation more persuasive.
From America, of course, the word ‘cahoot’ spread around the world.
Our own Arthur W. Upfield (creator of the brilliant Aboriginal detective Napoleon Bonaparte) used it is his 1953 detective novel Murder Must Wait, where he employs this phrase: ‘She was in cahoots with a doctor.’
Which is why we still use the word with some suspicion to this day: ‘What you two up to? What are you in cahoots about?’
TO SUSCRIBE TO THE FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER SCROLL FURTHER DOWN THIS PAGE >>>>>>
MEDIA...
BY THE WAY...
The latest edition of Quadrant magazine is now in the newsagents -- including my article on 'Recognizing Racism".
The May-June issue of Australian Geographic is out now (with the tree frog on the cover) -- inside are my two small columns on 'Placenames' and 'Ozwords'.
If you'd like to see my A-Z list of Aussie slang, you'll find it here in the Australian Geographic website -- A-Z list of Aussie slang. Here’s the link: The A-Z of Aussie slang - Australian Geographic
The liveliest part of this website is usually the Q and A page -- be sure to check it out from time to time.
BOOKS:
* My latest book is Sherlock Holmes: 5-Minute Mysteries -- containing 50 new stories I have written about the great detective. You can find it on Amazon. Just go to Amazon and type in Sherlock Holmes: 5-Minute Mysteries in the search panel. Or use this link: Amazon.com.au : Sherlock Holmes 5-Minute Mysteries
* My book "Defending the Gospel" is now second, fully revised, edition. You can find it here: Defending the Gospel – matthiasmedia.com.au
* If you're looking for my recent book "Flash Jim" you'll find it here -- Flash Jim, The astonis
hing story of the convict fraudster who wrote Australia's first dictionary by Kel Richards | 9781460759769 | Booktopia
* You can find all Kel's books currently in print here -- Booktopia Search Results for 'kel richards'. We sell books, hardback, paperback, audio, CDs.
* And also here -- Amazon.com.au : Kel Richards
* And you'll find more here -- Search: 4 results found for "Kel Richards" – matthiasmedia.com.au
* Many of Kel's out of print books can be found at ABE Books -- Kel Richards - AbeBooks explaining words explain the term
