cahoots

Cahoots is a colloquial term most commonly encountered in the phrase in cahoots, which means that two or more people are cooperating, often secretly or conspiratorially, to achieve a shared objective. The expression implies collusion or coordinated action and can refer to both harmless cooperation and illicit plotting. It is frequently used in everyday speech, journalism, and fiction.

The etymology of cahoots is uncertain. The phrase dates to at least the 19th century in American English, but its precise origin remains unclear. Over time, various theories have circulated, including possible influences from Scottish, Irish, or French sources, as well as speculations about a corruption of related terms. Because no single origin has been definitively proven, most dictionaries describe the etymology as uncertain rather than settled.

In popular culture, cahoots has appeared as a thematic or titular concept to convey collaboration or plotting. Notably, Cahoots is the title of The Band’s 1971 studio album, which includes tracks such as Life Is a Carnival and The Moon Struck One. The term is also employed in song lyrics, books, films, and television to evoke the sense of characters operating together behind the scenes.

See also: in cahoots entry; conspiracies; collusion.