Eggcorn Forum

The roots of the Fr. word chicanery are obscure; Anatoly Liberman speculates that it may be an onomatopoeic word from a game. In Quebec, it retains the old meaning of “to quarrel”, that has since passed out of currency in France. Nowadays chicanery means dishonest manipulation and trickery. Chickenery, on the other hand, is probably mostly mondegreeny, where the perps suspect some fowl play but couldn’t explain the connection to chickens if asked. In other instances, such as the first example below, it may be making reference to some sort of cowardice that leads to backroom dirty dealing.

Partisan commentary
WHy is there no ad exposing McCain’s chickenery & dodgng debate by wrapping himself with “must attend senate now to put country first” cloak?

Political blog
the elimination process was rumored to have involved political thuggery and chickenery.

Higher Education in India
The current regime of government babus who indulge in chickenery of organizing lectures of 48 (!) minutes and use every excuse to disallow filling up of vacancies is hardly conducive to creation of research environment

Swami in sex scandal
It is ironical and sad that the most educated parts of our country is a fertile ground for such chickenery.

Kashmiri history
the Kashmiri officials indulged in dishostey, fraudulence and chickenery

Outlook India
They come to India – still in thrall of the shahibs – & try to monetise their Lordshipness by writing shallow books containing shop-worn thesis which every thinking person discarded or bit of sly chickenary on TV

Obama’s birthplace
Realizing that history is not made up of strawberry fields but trickery and chickenary of every breed, wake up