Added 9 October 2026
hugger-mugger
/ˈhʌɡ.əˌmʌɡ.ə/ adjective
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hugger-mugger at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Secret, clandestine, sly.
-
Disorderly, chaotic, confused.
hugger-mugger doings
noun
adverb
- Secretly.
- Confusedly, in a muddle.
verb
Origin
Unknown; perhaps from Anglo-Irish cuggermugger (“a whispering, a low-voiced gossiping”), from Irish cogar (“whisper”). Compare also Scots hudge-mudge, hody-moke, Swedish mjugg (“stealth, secrecy”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)