hokey

Hokey is a term in the English language with multiple senses. As an adjective, hokey describes something that is contrived, overly sentimental, or designed to appeal to emotion in a way that may feel insincere or cheesy. It is commonly used to criticize films, songs, performances, or advertising that aim for sentimentality rather than substance. The tone is informal and can range from light affection to mild disparagement depending on context.

In New Zealand English, hokey refers to honeycomb toffee, a brittle sugar candy. The flavor is widely used in desserts and sweets, and it is especially associated with hokey pokey ice cream, a popular local variation. The candy sense is etymologically separate from the adjective sense, but the two uses share the same word.

Etymology: The origin of hokey as “corny” is uncertain. It is generally treated as slang from American or British English, with theories linking it to words such as hokum or hocus-pocus, or to onomatopoeic or idiomatic derivations. There is no single agreed-upon origin, and the sense has shifted over time.

See also: mawkishness, hokum, cheesy, sentimental.