Buzz
Pranks aren’t just child’s play anymore—and neither are the terms describing them! Explore 11 delightful old-fashioned words for mischief and antics, ideal for when Halloween trick-or-treaters at your doorstep leave you feeling a bit grumpy.
1. Humbug
Long before humbug became Ebenezer Scrooge’s famous exclamation, it referred to a deceitful act or fraud. The word, which gained popularity in the mid-18th century, has an uncertain origin, as noted by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
2. Capriccio
“Trick or capriccio!” could have been the modern-day chant if this word’s playful meaning had endured. Derived from Italian, capriccio might trace back to capro, meaning “goat,” inspired by the animal’s lively leaps. (This root also likely gave us the term capricious, describing someone unpredictable.) Today, capriccio is primarily used in music to denote a spirited and lively composition.
3. Cantrip
Originating from Scots, this word describes both a magical trick cast by a witch and a harmless, playful prank, as noted by the OED.
4. Gum-game
If you attempt the gum-game on someone, you’re aiming to deceive or fool them. This American slang term, popular in the late 19th century, likely stems from “the behavior of opossums and raccoons that hide in sweet-gum trees when pursued,” as per Merriam-Webster.
5. Marlock
This regional term from northern England describes a flirtatious look or playful act, as well as a mischievous trick. Although the noun form faded in the early 1900s, the verb sense of “frolicking or playing around” still appears to be in use.
6. Dido
Not to be confused with that Dido. From the early 1800s to the early 1900s, dido was an American slang word for a prank or mischievous act. While its exact origin remains unclear, the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests it might derive from the tale of the legendary Queen Dido. According to myth, she requested land from King Iarbas, who agreed to grant her as much as a bull’s hide could cover. Resourceful Dido cut the hide into thin strips, encircling a significant hill (later called Byrsa, Greek for “hide”). The city she established, Carthage, grew into one of the ancient world’s most powerful cities.
7. Chicanery
Dating back to the 16th century, this term describes deceitful or tricky behavior, particularly in legal settings. With French roots, it also serves as the title of an episode in Better Call Saul—apt for a series centered around a morally dubious lawyer.
8. Pettifoggery
A close relative of chicanery, the term pettifoggery emerged in the mid-1600s. It derives from pettifogger, a label for a shady attorney, an overconfident amateur, or someone who nitpicks over trivial matters. The petti– in pettifogger stems from petty, which originates from the French petit, meaning “small,” while fogger may trace back to the surname Fugger.
Who were the Fuggers? They were a prominent 16th-century family of “merchants and bankers,” as stated by Merriam-Webster; the OED highlights that they “faced widespread criticism for unethical business dealings.” As a result, fugger evolved to describe swindlers and, more specifically, “a low-level lawyer who manipulates the law,” according to the OED.
9. Skulduggery
“What kind of skulduggery is this!” you can exclaim the next time you encounter deceit. This American term first appeared in the 1860s, but its origins remain largely unknown. According to Merriam-Webster, it has no connection to skulls and might derive from sculduddery, a term meaning something “indecent” or “vulgar.” The source of that word is also a mystery.
10. Rannygazoo
Or perhaps granny kazoo? This quirky piece of American slang, which also meant nonsense, emerged in the late 19th century and was sometimes written as rannikaboo or renicky-boo. The spelling rannygazoo was popularized by English author P.G. Wodehouse, who spent many years in the U.S.
11. Phonus-bolonus
Why settle for calling something phony baloney when you can describe it as phonus-bolonus? While the former is more widely used, the latter is an older term, with its first recorded use in the OED dating back to 1929, credited to American author Damon Runyon: “Of course this message is nothing but the phonus bolonus.” In contrast, phony baloney first appeared in 1933.
