Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท H

Hunky-dory

Meaning

A cheerful way to say that everything is fine, calm, or satisfactory. It suggests a state of total peace and lack of trouble.

Cheerful, carefree

Used in a sentence

  • Don't worry about the noise, everything is hunky-dory now.
  • After we fixed the engine, the car was running all hunky-dory.
  • Is everything hunky-dory at your end of the deal?

The backstory

The origin is murky, but it likely stems from the Japanese word honcho for a main street in Yokohama. American sailors adopted it in the mid-nineteenth century.

Heard in

Nationwide

Vibe check