in cahoots (with someone)
noun phrase

- secretly involved with someone in a dishonest activity or plan

- acting together with others for an illegal or dishonest purpose

Macmillan Dictionary / Cambridge Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The phrase "in cahoots" originated in the United States in the late 19th century, and its exact etymology is unclear. There are several theories about its origin, but none have been definitively proven.

One theory suggests that "cahoots" may be related to the French word "cohorte," which means a group or cohort. Another theory proposes that "cahoots" comes from the Spanish word "codo," which means "elbow," and may have originally referred to two people standing close together with their elbows touching as a sign of secrecy or collusion.

Yet another theory suggests that "cahoots" may have originated from the French phrase "en cahute," which means "in a cabin" or "in a hut," and may have originally referred to people conspiring together in a small, private space.

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SYNONYMS

allied, aligned, thick as thieves, associated, colluding with, complicit, complicitous, conspiring with, cooperating, friendly, hand in glove, in alliance (bed with, concert, league, lockstep, partnership), IN CAHOOTS (with), joined at the hip, partnered, secret partnership, singing from the same hymn sheet, strategically aligned, syndicated, two peas in a pod

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“If you could magically be IN CAHOOTS with any person, living or dead, who would it be and what would you work on together?”

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THANKS to Dan & Florian for suggesting today’s OWAD.

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