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skulduggery

(n): verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you in some way
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28 days ago Prolagus said:

Skulduggery has nothing to do with skulls or digging, but developed as an Americanism in the nineteenth century, apparently as a variation on Scottish skulduddery, meaning fornication or obscenity. The American adaptation softened the meaning to trickery or craftiness.

(What's in a Word? by Robert Gorrell)

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kad (333 words)
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