Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to evade, to dodge, to avoid, to hide; thus juking n. and adj.

[1513		G. Douglas Æneis X. ix. 39: And jowkit in vnder the speyr has he].
[1768		A. Ross Helenore in Wattie Scot. Works (1938) 96: Sae we had better jouk until the jaw / Gang o’er our heads, than stand afore’t].
[1787		Burns To James Smith in Works (1842) 24/1: An anxious e’e I never throws Behint my lug, or by my nose; I jouk beneath misfortune’s blows].
1834		Life of Andrew Jackson 230: They say three hundred thousand dollars was drawn from the Nashvil Bank tu aid your election, that there is positive proof of this and that there isn’t any way to jouk it [DARE].
1875		G.J. Whyte-Melville Katerfelto 140: ‘Jouk an’ let the jaw go by!’ In other words, ‘Duck your head, and keep under shelter till the storm be past’.
1898		H. Macfall Wooings of Jezebel Pettyfer 320: And wid dat I creep’d along behime de gravestones, jukin’ along like I was a blamed tom-cat. [Ibid.] 391: I know’d it from de evenin’ my Jake found he jukin’ into we’s hen-roost de time he was li’l more dan a chile.
1925		L. Doyle Dear Ducks 16: ‘Watch him, then, Billy,’ sez I, ‘till we see how he does – Juke down!’.
1932		M. Marshall Travels of Tramp-Royal 284: Glamour’s on the main-drag – / Jouk the jade or die!
1943		G.A. Little Malachi Horan Remembers 70: But one day out he juked and nobody the wiser.
1948		J. O’Connor Come Day – Go Day (1984) 119: He’s out juking somewhere.
1966		P. Boyle At Night All Cats Are Grey 186: A stinking old conger squirming about in the bottom of the boat, trying to jook every belt you make at him.
1973		Time 24 Dec. 57: My game is to juke the tough guys [...] I put the okey-doke on them, just bounce around and look for daylight.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 137: No jukin’, no jivin’ now.
1986		C. Hiaasen Tourist Season (1987) 170: Too much planning to be done, juking here and there. [Ibid.] 345: Zigging and juking through the stolid heart of the Evanston Shrine; stiff-arming fenders where necessary.
1990		J. Wambaugh Golden Orange (1991) 178: With the radio still under his arm he juked and jibed.
2002		J. Ridley Conversation with the Mann 40: I didn’t see the jar coming, much less have time to juke out of the way.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 151: ‘[He] jouked down an alley’.
2013		J. Stahl Happy Mutant Baby Pills 83: I clip-feinted at his eye and he juked.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 332: [T]he horse juked at the last second.

2. (US/Ulster) to trick, to cheat, to victimize.

1833		S. Smith Letters Written During the President’s Tour 32: Then tu that tarnal Dutchman would git to be President, and i should be juked out of it as slick as goose grease.
1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 117: juke 1. to mess up, screw over.
1990		(con. early 1950s) J. Ellroy L.A. Confidential 235: He’d hoped the Nite Owl would swing another way so he could use it to juke this guy he hated.
1999		D. Healy Sudden Times 24: God blast you, she said. You’re always doing that. Juking around.
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 jugg Definition: to mess with, tease; fuckin’ with ’em. Example: Tommy always be juggin’ with me on the playground, Man!
2000		J. Ellroy ‘I’ve Got the Goods’ in Destination: Morgue! (2004) 184: Jack tried to juke her into bed with a muff-munching mulatta.
2008		Simon & Burns ‘–30–’ Wire ser. 5 ep. 10 [TV script] Some I juked as strangle jobs.
2012		T. Piccirilli Last Kind Words 133: [of card-sharps] ‘Did you juke Danny Thompson forty large?’.

3. (Ulster) to play truant.

1996

C.I. Macafee Concise Ulster Dict.