hickery-pickery

[11] Julia Mannering reminds me a little of Julia Townsend: and if this be doubtful, the connection of Jerry's "Old madam gave me some higry-pigry" and Cuddie's "the leddy cured me with some hickery-pickery" is not.

The English Novel George Saintsbury 1889

I ne’er gat ony gude by his doctrine, as ye ca’t, but a sour fit o’ the batts wi’ sitting amang the wat moss-hags for four hours at a yoking, and the leddy cured me wi’ some hickery-pickery; mair by token, an she had kend how I came by the disorder, she wadna hae been in sic a hurry to mend it.”

Old Mortality 2004

I ne'er gat ony gude by his doctrine, as ye ca't, but a sour fit o 'the batts wi' sitting amang the wat moss-hags for four hours at a yoking, and the leddy cured me wi 'some hickery-pickery; mair by token, an she had kend how I came by the disorder, she wadna hae been in sic a hurry to mend it. "

Old Mortality, Volume 1. Walter Scott 1801

I ne'er gat ony gude by his doctrine, as ye ca't, but a sour fit o 'the batts wi' sitting amang the wat moss-hags for four hours at a yoking, and the leddy cured me wi 'some hickery-pickery; mair by token, an she had kend how I came by the disorder, she wadna hae been in sic a hurry to mend it. "

Old Mortality, Complete Walter Scott 1801