Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A deceitful trick; an underhanded act.
- n. Remarks intended to deceive; deceit. Often used in the plural.
- n. A playful or mischievous act; a prank.
- n. Mischief; prankishness. Often used in the plural.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Nonsense; humbug; deceit: as, now, no shenanigan about this.
Wiktionary
- n. Trickery, games; skulduggery. To "call", "claim" or "declare" shenanigans is to rhetorically label something as officially deceitful, improper, or otherwise incorrect.
- n. A deceitful confidence trick, or mischief causing discomfort or annoyance.
- n. Mischievous play, especially by children.
WordNet 3.0
- n. reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
- n. the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
Etymologies
- Origin unknown.
Examples
“So, I'm going to call shenanigan s on this article.”
“Of course, this kind of shenanigan isn't new in Venezuela: fifteen months ago, Chavez was defeated in his first attempt to abolish term limits after a campaign that saw its share of abuses.”
Francisco Toro: Chavez's All Out Push to be President for Life
“This makes me wonder: What exactly is a "shenanigan" anyway?”
“Though my OED says the etymology of the word is unknown, according to Wikipedia, that bastion of factoids, 'shenanigan' possibly originates from the Irish sionnachuighim, meaning "I play the fox.”
“Now, fair and gentle reader, this was the poetry, and you see for yourself that there was no "shenanigan" in that letter; and if a fellow”
"Co. Aytch" Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment or, A Side Show of the Big Show
“Touch it lightly, as far as money is concerned, though, for it is well to reserve the code of justice in the matter of quartz ledges -- that is, consider them all (and their owners) guilty (of "shenanigan") until they are proved innocent.”
“This kind of shenanigan has been going on for ages, in every industry.”
“Ironic that the most 'shenanigan' of the House, the guy who always reminds me of the Joker, or Sideshow Bob, has a bullet shot through his window.”
“Friday night shenanigans are well-underway, but I must say, the word "shenanigan" has far too frivolous a tone for what is actually happening.”
“Although being overtired and giddy can cause us to act out, so there is definite shenanigan potential.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘shenanigan’.
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The weird, the wonderful and the plain hilarious
Loved for their ingenuity, an exact description, or simply for the pure joy of it.
acidulous, aprosdoketon, higgledy-piggledy, lexicographical, ninja, audacious, somnabulist, shivaree, amorphous, quidnunc, glib, melancholy and 353 more...
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Party All The Time
shebang, shenanigan, hootenanny, shindig, hullaballoo, hubbub, bunfight, hoedown, convention
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that's funny
words that make me laugh
uselessness A curiosity: I've never seen one by itself. Usually they travel in packs. Dec 15, 2009
elohiwarrior This word has been replaced with bernie Jun 30, 2009
cravinforclavin Use to express outrage, a la Chavo Guerrero Sr., "this is a shenanigan!" Dec 6, 2006