Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SKULLDUGGERY
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The sound of the word skullduggery makes me giggle a little, in kind of a subdued snort, as I imagine mustachioed criminals digging up jewels and tossing aside skulls. Which is appropriate, because although we don't know its origin exactly, skullduggery and its many variants have always meant "dirty, roguish, underhanded dealings."
In other words, skullduggery is the use of sneaky tricks to deceive people: ch____ery.
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make your point with...
"SKULLDUGGERY"
Also spelled "skulduggery," this word means exactly what it sounds like: deceit, trickery, or dirty dealings.
Pronunciation:
SKULL DUG uh ree
Part of speech:
Noun, the uncountable kind: "their skullduggery," "such skullduggery," "a lot of skullduggery."
Other forms:
None are in common use.
How to use it:
On the silly-to-serious scale, I'd say that "skullduggery" leans a bit toward the "silly" end, where we'd put "hanky-panky," "razzle-dazzle," and "flimflam," and leans a bit away from the "serious" end, where we'd put "pretense," "deception," and "underhandedness."
So, pick "skullduggery" when you need a giggle, not a guffaw.
Talk about someone's skullduggery, or the skullduggery of some group.
Add an adjective, if you like: legal skullduggery, procedural skullduggery, political skullduggery, bureaucratic skullduggery.
examples:
"A referendum vote that defied every logical prediction. The resignation of a prime minister. The descent into recrimination and infighting of one of Britain’s major political parties. And in the other, an exhibition of Game of Thrones-like skullduggery. And Friday isn’t even over yet."
— Dan Stewart, TIME, 1 July 2016
"Winners are determined by a set standard of popularity measurements -- think all the fan frenzy of the American Music Awards mixed with all the skullduggery of Grammy voting."
— August Brown, The Los Angeles Times, 7 April 2015
has this page helped you understand "skullduggery"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "skullduggery" without saying "intrigue" or "craftiness."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) struggles to keep up with (someone or some group)'s skullduggery."
Example: "The news media struggle to keep up with his--and his family's--skullduggery."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Big Bang Thicket."
In each issue, hack your way through the polysyllabic title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer the question about what happens in that episode.
From the previous issue:
In "The Financial Permeability," does Penny suffer financial woes or stumble on financial gains?
Answer:
She suffers financial woes. Something permeable has holes, or allows things to soak into it. Maybe Penny's financial situation was figuratively permeable, but I suspect the writers were playing on a similar concept, "solubility," or a substance's ability to dissolve into parts, and its figurative opposite of financially insolvency: inability to pay debts.
Try this one today:
In "The Maternal Congruence," does Sheldon argue constantly with his roommate's mother, or does he get along a little too well with her?
review this word:
1. The opposite of SKULLDUGGERY is
A. AMORPHOUSNESS.
B. GREGARIOUSNESS.
C. SCRUPULOUSNESS.
2. Slate's Joshua Keating reported on _____ of skullduggery, like _____.
A. feats .. bringing bitter enemies to a peace conference in good faith
B. accusations .. voters positioning weaker competitors for their chosen candidate
C. accounts .. the credibility and consistency that America offers from one presidency to the next
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The sound of the word skullduggery makes me giggle a little, in kind of a subdued snort, as I imagine mustachioed criminals digging up jewels and tossing aside skulls. Which is appropriate, because although we don't know its origin exactly, skullduggery and its many variants have always meant "dirty, roguish, underhanded dealings."
"SKULLDUGGERY" Also spelled "skulduggery," this word means exactly what it sounds like: deceit, trickery, or dirty dealings.
"A referendum vote that defied every logical prediction. The resignation of a prime minister. The descent into recrimination and infighting of one of Britain’s major political parties. And in the other, an exhibition of Game of Thrones-like skullduggery. And Friday isn’t even over yet."
Explain the meaning of "skullduggery" without saying "intrigue" or "craftiness."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) struggles to keep up with (someone or some group)'s skullduggery."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of SKULLDUGGERY is
|