"Hunkey-Dory," "Hunker Down," and "Hunk"

Hunky-Dory

Hunky-dory is a term that means things are safe, all good, or going well. E.g., "Everything is hunky-dory" But where did the phrase come from?

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The Online Etymology Dictionary claims that the phrase hunky-dory may have originated from the Middle Dutch word honc, meaning "place of refuge, hiding place." Honc then evolved into the Dutch word honk, which was used in a Frisian variant of the game of tag (as in guten tag) to mean the “goal” or “homebase.” The Dutch took this word (and presumably the game, too) overseas from New Amsterdam to New York. The first recorded usage of the term was around the 1840s in New York. Once the children's game hit New York, honk may have evolved into the slang term hunk ("in a safe position," 1847). Perhaps hunk evolved into the cutsie derivative hunkey ("safe, all right, satisfactory," 1861). In other words, to achieve hunk or hunky in a child's game was to make it "home" and win the game.

The origin of dory is unknown. However, since its earliest attestations appear in children’s games and later in minstrel songs (both mediums renowned for nonsensical rhyming), it is reasonable to assume that dory has no meaning and was tacked on to hunky simply because it rhymed. 

This expression guide noted that the earliest known printed reference to hunkey-dory is found in the USA, in an 1862 collection of songs performed by the Christy Minstrels, a "blackface" minstrel group founded by Edwin Pearce Christy, who is believed to have been of Irish origin.

One of the boys am I,

That always am in clover;

With spirits light and high,

'Tis well I'm known all over.

I am always to be found,

A singing in my glory;

With your smiling faces round,

'Tis then I'm hunkey dorey.

As one linguist put it, "children often do not just say O.K. -- they say okey-dokey, thus engaging in what linguists call "reduplication," or the emphatic, joking repetition of parts of a word. Hunky-dory is almost certainly a similar product of reduplication by children who had won their game." Another example of a reduplicated term is hunkum-bunkum. 

However, worldwidewords.org poses two alternate Japanese origins for the hunkey-dory. One view is that it originated from a street in Japan's Yokohama in the 1850s, frequented by sex-starved American sailors. They called it huncho-dori (which translates broadly as "main street," or "easy street" (referring to areas noted for easy virtue.) Another opinion, which is a bit more on the nose, is that it derives from Hunkidori, a breath freshener introduced in 1868. While the phrase certainly sounds like it could have originated in Japan (and they technically may have predated the Dutch usage), I doubt that this influence was what made the expression popular in the U.S. in the 20th century.

Hunker Down

To hunker down is the act of settling in a secure or sheltered spot, often to stay safe or focus on a task.

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According to Grammarist.com and worldwidewords.org, “hunker down” came from the Scottish verb “to hunker,” which means squatting low on one’s haunches. While it was first recorded in the early 18th century, it has been suggested it’s linked to the Old Norse huka, to squat; making it a close cousin of old Dutch huiken and modern German hocken, meaning to squat or crouch. 

The Oxford English Dictionary has a fine description of how to hunker: “squat, with the haunches, knees, and ankles acutely bent, so as to bring the hams near the heels, and throw the whole weight upon the fore part of the feet.” (Think of Gollum, Tolkien's Ring-of-Power-obsessed character, sitting crouched, gnawing on a fish in his underground cavern.) The advantage of this physical position is that you’re not only close to the ground, presenting a small target for whatever the universe throws at you but also ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Sidenote: The imperialistic English were anti-hunkerers, unlike their rain-soaked Highlander neighbors to the North where the term originates. Perhaps that political dynamic is where the term originated. I like the idea of the Scottish patiently waiting out invading British troops. (Extra sidenote: The British loved to hold forts, which led to the phrase, hold the fort, not to be confused with the U.S. derivative hold down the fort.)

But there's a contending origin for the word hunker! Across the pond, early Americans also used the phrase hunker down to mean something different. The American usage of hunker down may have also been influenced by the Dutch word “honk,” which means home, goal, or a safe place in children’s play. By the 19th century, New York's melting pot for languages and cultures, had fully adopted the noun hunk, and transformed it into a verb to mean "to settle" into a "post, station, home."

As the decades rolled on, these two definitions ("squat on haunches" and "home base") danced around each other, gradually intertwining. By the early 20th century, the phrase had morphed again into the “hunker down” we recognize today. It evokes a sense of determination, whether hunkering to withstand challenges or dedicating oneself fully to a task. But the phrase is especially meaningful when you defiantly shelter in a place you call home. E.g., "As the hurricane approached, residents were advised to evacuate. However, most homeowners with shelters obstinately hunkered down." Or, figuratively speaking, one could say, "I need to hunker down and finish this project before the deadline." U.S. WW2 soldiers frequently referred to their base as their hunk. For example, those who stayed safe on base were hunky-dory.

Hunk

Today, "hunk" means a large or dense piece of something. E.g., a hunk of junk (metal).

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Hunk or hunky may have also derived from the Dutch word honk ("a safe place"). An online forum indicated that the first American use of the word hunkey was in the title of the Civil War song, A Hunkey Boy Is Yankee Doodle (1861). In this patriotic tune, "hunkey boys" are Northern Civil War soldiers who are brave, smart, and bold--all desirable traits that may make the people they defend (especially women) feel safe.

However, the word “hunk” (as we know it) dates back to around 1813 and originally meant “large piece cut off.” Its origin is uncertain, but it may derive from West Flemish “hunke,” which was used for bread and meat and is possibly related to the Dutch homp, meaning “lump, hump.” Around the 1940s (WW2 era), first in Australia and later in the U.S., the term eventually evolved via jive talk to colloquially describe an attractive or sexually-appealing man (a dense piece of meat, beefcake).

But that's not the only different definition. Wordorigins.com offers several additional examples illuminating the phrase's other usage over the years. For instance, "hunk" appears in the phrase to get hunk, meaning "to be made whole after a loss," as used in an 1845 article in The Spirit of the Times about a horse race:

It is not a little singular that in one instance only did the favorite win! Those who lost their money on Fashion, had two or three chances to “get hunk,” especially on the last day. 

 Conclusion

The origins of these words are unclear. However, after delving into their etymologies, I feel confident using hunkey, hunker, or hunk to refer to a person or place that evokes a sense of safety through protection.