play hooky

play hooky

To absent oneself or leave early from school or work when one would normally be required to be there. Primarily heard in US. I was so restless and bored at work that I decided to play hooky after lunch. Hey, Jim and I are playing hooky from school on Friday, do you want to come with us? That's the last time you play hooky, mister! From now on, I'm dropping you off at school every morning!
See also: play
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

play hooky

to fail to attend school or some other event. Why aren't you in school? Are you playing hooky? I don't have time for the sales meeting today, so I think I'll just play hooky.
See also: play
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

play hooky

Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work. In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it, meaning "escape." [Mid-1800s]
See also: play
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

play hookey

stay away from school without permission or explanation; play truant. North American informal
See also: hookey, play
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

play hooky

(...ˈhʊki)
tv. to not go to school; to not keep an appointment. I played hooky today and did not go to work.
See also: play
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • oneself
  • wash (one's) hands of (someone or something)
  • wash hands of
  • wash one's hands of
  • wash your hands of
  • wash your hands of somebody/something
  • wash your hands of something/someone
  • for (one's) (own) sake
  • for sake
  • keep sight of somebody/something
References in periodicals archive
PLAY HOOKY While you're in Oaxaca, ascend the ruins of the ancient city of Monte Alban for spectacular vistas of Oaxaca Valley.
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If Larbalestier would ever like to play hooky from the stultifying academy and indulge her quite evident penchant for gender-bending SF, she might have a good shot at winning one.
The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. (Arts & Letters)
He would feign illness to get time off and when his parents found out he was faking, he would play hooky.
YOU CAN BE STRONG; World record strongman tells bullied kids speaking out will beat tormentors
I felt the same urge to play hooky in London as the amazing events of last weekend unfolded.
A nation united in honour of the Queen
OK, we all have work mornings when we'd love to play hooky - but we're not earning squillions for doing our jobs.
Health: 5 Celebrity stress factors; They've got it all - fame, beauty, money. But if their lives are so perfect, why are celeb rehab centres doing a roaring trade? We look at the stars' problems and how to solve them in the real world
Hang in there Don't get discouraged if you play hooky from your fitness regimen for a week or so.
Step up to good health
Bad: "Calendar of Events." Better: "Spring classes offer fun and fulfillment." Even better: "No-one play hooky: Class schedule provides something for everyone."
Copyediting 101: No deadheads allowed
He liked monsters and whenever he could get time off from his busy classroom schedule, he would play hooky from school and go up to the Capitol and look at the Senate." Probably his cheapest shot is placed in the mouth of a worker at the Smithsonian: "Joe Kennedy is our bootlegger.
The Smithsonian Institution
Fishing was the one pursuit that would cause me to play hooky as a kid.
My Father Never Fished
I used to play hooky from school just to hear those guys playing on the street corner.
The wisdom of the blues - defining blues as the true facts of life: an interview with Willie Dixon
I led my class, or the majority of my classmates to play hooky! Somebody told the Jesuits that we went out to the movies.
Interviewing Joma Sison
Play hooky. Moments of extreme happiness, the ones that make you wonder at life, are big-time creativity boosters.
Get chipper: be positive to spur innovative thoughts
Some gamble vacation time or play hooky, trying to guess the occurrence of the one special "big day," which could occur this week.
Migration's magic here, abroad
Play hooky from the rest of your life with `Ferris Bueller'
BRIEFLY SCREEN
After the university began making lecture videotapes available for download on the Internet, many students decided to just play hooky and watch their classes from a comfortable spot at home, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Between tears & laughter