hanky-panky

hanky-panky

1. Sexual activity, especially when considered inappropriate or done in secret. It's an open secret in the office that a lot of hanky-panky goes on in the storage facility. I certainly don't want to hear that any of the doctors I'm supervising are partaking in hanky-panky in the on-call room! Why do those two look so disheveled? You don't think there was any hanky-panky going on in the bathroom, do you?

2. Devious, deceitful, or suspicious activity. Regulators suspected some hanky-panky going on between the governor's office and the retail developers. If I find any hanky-panky going on with your record-keeping, I won't hesitate to file charges against you! No, Margaret's one of my longest-tenured employees—she wouldn't be involved in any hanky-panky with petty cash.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

hanky-panky

(ˈhæŋkiˈpæŋki)

1. n. funny business; deceitfulness. There’s some hanky-panky going on in the treasurer’s office.

2. n. sexual play; sexual misconduct. (see also mifky-pifky (in the bushes).) There’s some hanky-panky going on in the storeroom.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.