Skulduggeries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Deceptive or unscrupulous behavior by individuals or groups that involves trickery
2. The act of engaging in underhanded schemes or deceitful practices that undermine trust or fairness
3. Activities characterized by shady dealings or chicanery, often with intent to manipulate outcomes for personal gain

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "skulduggeries" is that the skull in it is almost certainly a mistake. The word descends from Scots "sculduddery" or "sculdudrie," meaning adultery or unchaste behaviour, and it was obscenity and lewdness, not cunning, that the word first described. Its origin is long uncertain and probably a euphemism, and the link to "skull" is a folk etymology that people reached for later because the word sounded like it might be a compound. The American spelling "skullduggery" follows the pattern of words like "skillful" and "willful," which is a matter of spelling convention rather than a clue to meaning. Over time the sense drifted from sexual misconduct toward deception and underhandedness in general, and the modern meaning is the trickery of individuals or groups. As a plural, "skulduggeries" is simply the form used when speaking of several separate acts or instances of such trickery, and it inherits its history from the singular "skulduggery."

Synonyms: deceptions, trickery