hinky

comparative hinkier · comparative more hinky · superlative hinkiest · superlative most hinky · alternative hinkey · alternative hinkty · alternative hincty

1. colloquialActing suspiciously; strange, unusual; acting in a manner as if having something to hide, or seemingly crooked.

   1993 Jeb Stuart & David Touhy, The Fugitive, imdb.com, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106977/quotes This is hinky, this guy's a college graduate...

   5 more examples

   I thought he might be acting hinky.

   1970 7 February 1970: Sgt. MacDonald (William Boyett), Re: Adam-12, Log 54 Impersonation (Season 2, Episode 16) referring to Detective Forest (John Hudson)

   There's nothing hinky about this.

   1990 October 3, Kurt Guntheroth, “Re: Market selling under highest bid?”, in misc.invest (Usenet)

   And I don't know if that copper reaction you teased me with for H2CO3 would run that direction, would it? Looks hinky.

   1995 September 26, Richard Steven Walz, “Re: Odd etching chemistry; was: Re: Does dry ice fog hurt electronics?”, in sci.electronics (Usenet)

   Given the hinky events of the past twenty-four hours, he had come to suspect that his own unhappy spouse had conspired in the defacing of his prize taxidermy, the trashing of the red BMW, and even the infesting of his luxury sport-utility vehicle with shit-eating insects.

   2000, Carl Hiaasen, Sick Puppy, page 101

   A US customs agent, Diana Dean, questioned him at the border. He was fidgeting, sweaty, and jittery. He avoided eye contact. In Dean's own words, he was acting "hinky." Ressam's car was eventually searched, and he was arrested.

   2004 Bruce Schneier qt. Diana Dean, Boston Globe (2004)

2. colloquialSuspicious (of something).

   2005 Feb 11: tiny dancer, Re: Pregnant Ky. Woman Kills Attacker, alt.true-crime, http://groups.google.com/group/alt.true-crime/msg/33d57888c4b937a7?dmode=source&hl=en I was feeling a bit hinky about this one too.

   3 more examples

   I think they get hinky if everything is shaking around and they can't see much.

   1993 August 20, Dave Ratcliffe, “Re: Long Trips With Cats”, in rec.pets.cats (Usenet)

   Lots of folks are hinky about removing ANY "safety" feature from a firearm.

   1995 June 23, Rosco Benson, “Re: HP Browning Mag safety, remove it?”, in rec.guns (Usenet)

   1999 Mar 14: Trn0, Re: HELP w/ taking a knife to another country (TANZANIA), rec.knives, http://groups.google.com/group/rec.knives/msg/4fb8ccf2764ce154?dmode=source&hl=en If the customs inspector gets hinky about letting them into the country, you can let him keep one as a gift.

3. colloquialDishonest; sketchy; shady
4. colloquialderogatoryWeird; nonstandard.

   1995 Feb 1: Gharlane of Eddore, Re: E2 is great SF, rec.arts.sf.tv, http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.sf.tv/msg/b4020dab6031f759?dmode=source&hl=en So either they've got a *really* hinky space drive, or they're just just plain fat-assed lard-brained idiots with delusions of competence.

   4 more examples

   1968 Sept 21: Officer Pete Malloy, as written by Jack Webb, intuiting that a citizen’s report of burglars casing the neighborhood is probably legitimate, Adam-12, Season 1, Episode 1 at 9:32, http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/hulu/vi4018208793/ This [call] shouldn’t be hinky – I’ve got a hunch they’re still floating around.

   Heck, I'd *much* rather the 68xxx architecture had caught on than Intel, with its hinky memory-handling.

   1997 March 11, Karen J. Cravens, “Re: WRITERS!”, in rec.games.frp.misc (Usenet)

   The motor is rather hinky.

   2006 January 4, Andrew H. Wakefield, “Got the lathe -- followup”, in rec.crafts.metalworking (Usenet)

   2008 Sept 8: Dave Letterman discussing the climate crisis, The Late Show with Dave Letterman, Show #2980, rec.arts.tv, http://lateshow.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/wahoo/index/php/20080908.phtml I’ve been persuaded that something is hinky, and by God, you can quote me on that. Something is hinky.

5. colloquialUnreliable; wonky
6. colloquialSnobbish; haughty