pawky

American  

[paw-kee] / ˈpɔ ki /

adjective

Chiefly British.

pawkier, pawkiest

1. cunning; sly.

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pawky British  

/ ˈpɔːkɪ /

adjective

1. having or characterized by a dry wit

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Other Word Forms

• pawkiness
  noun
• pawkily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of pawky

1670–80; Scots pawk trick + -y ¹

Explanation

If you're known as being pawky, you've got a sly, mischievous sense of humor. The pawky one in your group of friends is probably good at making everyone laugh while barely cracking a smile. You're most likely to encounter the word pawky in Scotland, but it's a good way to describe someone who's got a sardonic wit, wherever you happen to be. You might surprise people with your pawky wit if you're usually quiet and retiring. Pawky is Scots, and it's also used in Northern England, from the Northern English pawk, or "trick."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pawky pawkier

"To Pamela who knows very well the things I'll suggest if she's going to write on the front of this pawky book," it reads.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2023

And there is some smart material and pawky wit in “Burning Questions,” even if they huddle, trembling, like ferns behind a waterfall.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2022

Volkswagen and Nike wanted his pawky sensibility, up to a point.

From The New Yorker ● Jan. 1, 2017

This is no fault of Richard McCabe, who plays Wilson with a nice pawky humour.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 5, 2013

Ye're wily and cunning and pawky and long-headed, and ye're got yir own way in this town for many a year; but lay it to heart, ye're just a man.

From Young Barbarians by Maclaren, Ian

But this was a man of counsel, This was a man of a score, There dwelt no pawkier Stewart In Appin or Mamore.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 14 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis