shenanigan

The origin of the noun is uncertain.^[1] As the earliest attestations are from California, U.S.A., in the 1850s towards the end of the California gold rush (see the quotations), it is possible that the word derives from one of the following:^[2]

• Irish sionnachuighim (“to play tricks”, literally “to play the fox”); Irishmen were among the people participating in the gold rush. (See also the 31 December 1854 quotation suggesting it is an “Irish word”.)
• Spanish chanada, a shortening of charranada (“deceit, trick”); California was colonized by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century, and many people from Latin America also took part in the gold rush.

Other suggestions are set out in the table below.

The verb is derived from the noun.^[3]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ʃɪˈnænɪɡ(ə)n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʃəˈnænəɡən/

• Audio (General American):

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• Hyphenation: she‧na‧ni‧gan

shenanigan (countable and uncountable, plural shenanigans) (originally US, informal)

1. (countable, chiefly in the plural) singular of shenanigans: a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of mischievous play, especially by children.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:prank

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

   • 1854 August 18, “First performance of the original Dolly Wags at Cayoteville”, in E. R. Budd, editor, The Nevada Journal, volume 4, number 16 (number 173 overall), Nevada City, Calif.: Budd & Skelton, →OCLC, page 1, column 5:

     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!

   • [1854 December 31, “Questions and answers”, in The Wide West, volume I, number 42, San Francisco, Calif.: Bonestell & Williston, →OCLC, page [2], column 1:

     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.]

   • 1855 August 31, “Turn out Americans!!”, in E[dwin] G Waite, editor, The Nevada Journal, volume 5, number 18 (number 277 overall), Nevada City, Calif.: N. P. Brown & Co., →OCLC, page 2, column 2:

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

   • 1992, Celia Morris, chapter 7, in Storming the Statehouse: Running for Governor with Ann Richards and Dianne Feinstein, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons; Don Mills, Ont.: Maxwell Macmillan Canada, →ISBN, page 148:

     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.

2. (uncountable, dated, rare) Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or behaviour; skulduggery, trickery; also, mischievous behaviour or play; high jinks.
   • 1855 September, “Mr. Soap’s Yachting Excursion”, in Yankee-notions, volume IV, number 9, New York, N.Y.: T. W. Strong, […], →OCLC, page 280, column 1:

     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.

   • [1877], Cha[rle]s H. Sparks, “Political History”, in History of Winneshiek County, with Biographical Sketches of Its Eminent Men, Decorah, Iowa: Jas. Alex. Leonard, →OCLC, page 31:

     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.

• shenaniganry (rare)
• shenanigous

shenanigan (third-person singular simple present shenanigans, present participle shenaniganing or shenaniganning, simple past and past participle shenaniganed or shenaniganned) (originally US, informal)

1. (transitive) To play a deceitful confidence trick on (someone); to swindle, to trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief on (someone); to prank.
   • 1872 October 19, “Notes on the College Press and so forth”, in The Chronicle, volume IV, number II, Ann Arbor, Mich.: Students of the University of Michigan, →OCLC, page 24, column 2:

     The habit of "shenaniganing" has become so disgracefully common at Union college that some of the right minded students have passed resolutions condemning the practice in unqualified terms. We are happy to inform the friends of Michigan University that this unmusical word, which, translated means the use of artificial aids, in examinations, is almost wholly unknown here.

     A noun use.

   • 1894, Mary J. Jaques, “Sheep Dipping, Breaking in Bronchos, Visit to Texan Squatter”, in Texan Ranch Life; with Three Months through Mexico in a “Prairie Schooner”, London: Horace Cox, […], →OCLC, pages 114–115:

     I must have looked sceptical regarding the squirrel, as I informed him that I had not much appetite just then; but he assured me he was not "shenan-neganning" me, and that the dish would prove a delicacy.

   • 1932, John Beames, chapter V, in Gateway, London: Ernest Benn […], →OCLC, page 89:

     Gosh, I never was so shenaniganned in all my life.

   • 2001, Amalia Sena Sánchez, quotee, “Fiesta”, in John Pen[daries] La Farge, editor, Turn Left at the Sleeping Dog: Scripting the Santa Fe Legend, 1920–1955, Albuquerque, N.M.: University of New Mexico Press, →ISBN, page 56:

     Then Jim, the man that was in charge of the booths, […] says, "It's too large. It has to be a regular size." I said, "Look, it can't go back, and we have the place reserved. I've already paid for it." I don't know, he shenaniganed something.

2. (intransitive) To play a deceitful confidence trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief.
   • 1964 February 6, Basil Whitener, “Civil Rights Act of 1963”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 88th Congress, Second Session (United States House of Representatives), volume 110, part 2, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2260, column 3:

     Then after much shenaniganing around over a period of several weeks […] we came into the committee room after this "night study" which I understand too place, and some of the Members had the bill we are now considering in a mimeographed form and some of us did not have it.

   • 1986 July 9, R. F. H. Maxwell, “Debate—General”, in Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): Second Session, Forty-first Parliament (New Zealand House of Representatives), volume 472, Wellington: V. R. Ward, government printer, →OCLC, page 2800:

     Was it merely a ruse to ensure that the people during that period of 12 months got used to the idea that the workshop would close, and gradually reconciled themselves to it? It does not look as if they have, but I suggest that that is one reason the Government shenaniganed around with the people of Wanganui.

   • 2021, Michel Guyon, “From London to Gristlemoth”, in Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN:

     I'm just shenaniganning with you. Keep your hair in your face and your mouth shut and it will be fine.

• shenaniganing, shenaniganning (adjective, noun)

• shenanigans (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “shenanigan, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.