Hokey Pokey

hokey-pokey hokey pokey English Alternative forms en hokey pokey en hokey-pokey en hokeypokey Etymology en, compare the earlier-attested names for similar group circle dances from which the modern dance seems to have evolved, en hinkumbooby from the 19th century and en hankin booby from the 16th. Pronunciation en /hoʊ̯ki poʊ̯ki/ US Noun ? 1 en US Canada Australia preceded by definite article A group dance performed in a circle, in which people move a variety of their body parts in and out of the middle, and shake them about. en June 19, 2008 Peter Applebome At 91, He Isn’t Ready for the Last Dance Just Yet New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/nyregion/19towns.html So he choreographs each event depending on the crowd, starting with something to learn the drill, like “Marching Through Georgia,” working in something to loosen people up like the hokeypokey, and probably a contra dance (long lines, not squares) like the Virginia reel. https://web.archive.org/web/20250226155025/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/nyregion/19towns.html 26 February 2025 Synonyms en Hokey Cokey (UK) en hokey tokey See also en hokey en reduplications rhyming compounds en Dances