What Is Play Hooky?
Play Hooky or Less Commonly Play Hookey. Us, Informal. : to Be Away from School Without Permission out on the Playground, a Boy from Another Homeroom Cavorted...
play hooky or less commonly play hookey. US, informal. : to be away from school without permission Out on the playground, a boy from another homeroom cavorted around on a dirt bike, doing wheelies. He was playing hooky, but evidently couldn't stay away.—
What is playing hooky from work?
Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work. In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it, meaning “escape.” [ Mid-1800s]
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Why do they call it hooky?
A bride might play hooky from her wedding, or a pilot could play hooky from work, leaving her plane sitting on the runway. The phrase comes from nineteenth century New York City slang, and it's thought to have its roots in the Dutch word hoekje, or "hide-and-seek."