hokey cokey

British

/ ˈkəʊkɪ /

noun

a Cockney song with a traditional dance routine to match the words

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By the end of the week the bond markets were more than nervous as a result of the hokey cokey over income tax.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Government cuts could also contribute to such a reading, but private sector sentiment has taken a hit too, especially by the hokey cokey over tariffs.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025

When there is a change of government, there is a dizzying hokey cokey of changing job titles.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2024

Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined families in Falmouth doing the hokey cokey during the visit.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2023

“There was an element of hokey cokey in that first proposition,” Biggs said.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023