Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hokey n.¹

In exclamations

by hokey! (also by hoky! by hoky-poky! by hookity! by hookey! by hooky! by the hoaky!) [? euph. for hell! or f. SE hocus-pocus]

(US) a mild excl.

1789		Both Sides of the Gutter part II 10: By de hokey, I falls a ballyragging F—d, spits in de Volunteers countenance.
1805		J. Davis Post Captain (1813) 19: The supposed enemy [...] hoisted American colours [...] ‘A Jonothan! by the hookey!’ exclaimed Captain Brilliant.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 99: ‘Shall I japan your trotter cases? [...] By de hokey, I’ll polish ’em tight’.
1825		S. Woodworth Forest Rose II ii: She’s cracked too, by hokey!
1834		Belfast News Letter 4 Feb. 4/1: He gives the bag a heave, when — hookey! who’d believe? He tumbled in.
1833		Spirit of the Times (NY) 12 Jan. 1/2: ‘[B]y hokey that city feller shoots like tarnation’.
1837		Cornwall Chron. (Launceston, Tas.) 11 Mar. 1/4: By the hookey, if Sally Jones isnt the real grit, the there’s no stakes.
1837		R.M. Bird Nick of the Woods I 73: You’re right, by Hooky!
1841		Odd Fellow (London) 28 Aug. 3/5: ‘By de hokey,’ grinned the sturdy beggar, ’if you hadn’t given me this, I’d may be ha’ bin forced to — work’.
1843		L.H. Medina Nick of the Woods I iii: But you’re right, by hokey!
1848		D.O. Madden Revelations of Ireland 115: By the hokey [...] I’d tan your dirty hide, you bastely common scrub.
1854		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 July 82/2: ‘By the Hokey,’ says I [...] ‘for I’ll be hanged if i don’t eat him’.
1855		Bell’s Life in Sydney 31 Mar. 3/2: Police Magistrate.— Did you load the pistol with gunpowder? Defendant.— No! by the Hokey! I quite forgot.
1856		Huddersfield Chron. 30 Aug. 3/6: By the hokey — a drum!
1856		N.O. Weekly Delta 23 Nov. in A.P. Hudson Humor of the Old Deep South (1936) 1: Very well, sez you, I won’t by hokey.
1862		Bristol Mercury 20 Dec. 6/2: By the hokey, if you say another word of impudence, I’d tan your dirty hide.
1866		C.H. Smith Bill Arp 143: We want to trade ’em off. By hoky, we’ll give two of ’em for one copperhead, and ax nothin to boot.
1867		W.H. Smyth Sailor’s Word-Bk (1991) 383: Hoaky. A common petty oath – ‘By the hoaky!’ by your hearth or fire.
1878		Donaldson Chief (LA) 23 Mar. 1/2: Well then, by Jimminy Pelt, by dad, by hokey, by the long-armed spoon, by jocks.
1881		Stark Co. Democrat (Canton, OH) 28 July 3/5: By the hookey, if you say another word of impudence, I’ll tan your hide.
1882		J. Payn For Cash Only 81: Pay me what you owe me [...] or by hooky, I’ll tell your father .
1887		W.T. Call Josh Hayseed in N.Y. 73: ‘Be hokey,’ says I.
1892		Leeds Mercury 6 Aug. 8/1: ‘By the hokey,’ the old man said.
1894		‘Mark Twain’ Pudd’nhead Wilson 161: He did, by hokey!
1894		Truth (Sydney) 23 Dec. 1/2: By the hokey! what’s all this at all?
1900		T.J. Hains Mr Trunnell Mate of the Ship ‘Pirate’ Ch. x: ‘Well, by hookey, you won’t, then,’ snarled the captain.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Dec. 18/2: ‘[B]ut if I’d known that I wasn’t dad to my own son all this time I’d ha’ infected a change, by hookity, I would.’.
1906		J.W. Carr ‘Words from Northwest Arkansas’ in DN III:ii 141: hoky-poky, n. In the mild oath, ‘by hoky-poky’.
1906		‘O. Henry’ ‘Mammon and the Archer’ in Four Million (1915) 130: Money’ll do it as slick as soap grease. It’s made you [a gentleman]. By hokey! it’s almost made one of me.
1911		G. Stratton-Porter Harvester 330: ‘The full set, by hokey!’ marvelled the Harvester.
1928		E. Milton To Kiss the Crocodile 239: ‘By hookey!’ said the Yankee.
1942		Whizzbang Comics 63: By hokey, if we spot any Jerry ships it’s going to be just too bad for ’em!
1947		W.D. Overholser Buckaroo’s Code (1948) 44: He’s only the town marshall, but by hokey, it’s got to the place where we’ve got to have some law down here.