Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a vagrant, a gypsy; also attrib.

1847–81		Halliwell Dict. Archaic and Provincial Words II 623/2: Piky, a gipsey. Kent.
1851		Kentish Gaz. 29 Apr. 3/4: Four Irish women and a man [...] were sentenced [...] to imprisonment and hard labour [...] as a warning to others of their tribe, denominated ‘pikeys’ .
1873		Sl. Dict. 253: Pikey a tramp or gipsy. A pikey-cart is in various parts of the country one of those habitable vehicles suggestive of a wandering life. Possibly the term has reference to one who constantly uses the PIKE, or turnpike road.
1881		Sevenoaks Chron. 7 Oct. 8/2: John King, a pikey, pleaded guilted to allowing three horses to stray on the highway.
1887		Parish & Shaw Dict. Kentish Dial. 116: Piky, [...] a turnpike traveller; a vagabond; and so generally a low fellow.
1902		Sussex Agric. Exp. 5 July 5/4: Mr J. Keeble secured a prize for his comic get up [...] as a ‘Pikey’.
1914		Luton Times 24 Apr. 6/7: The defendant then called the lady a ‘pikey’ and a ‘hitchy-botchy’. The argument continued.
1929		Hull Dly Mail 17 June 10/2: Another man called Pikey.
1932		Sussex Agric. Exp. 2 Sept. 2/4: The hop-picking season has arrived, bringing Cocnkeys to the country to enjoy [...] ‘a bloomin’ good, romping, pikey holiday’ .
1955		P. Wildeblood Against Law 125: My family’s all Pikeys, but we ain’t on the road no more!
1989		in G. Tremlett Little Legs 29: They’re what we call diddicoys or pikeys, not true travellers.
2000		Guardian 20 Apr. 3: To Martin, they were nothing but ‘light-fingered pykies’.
2002		(ref. 1970s) L. Pizzichini Dead Men’s Wages (2003) 209: When a member of the Nicholls clan called the Tibbes ‘a bunch of pikeys’, sensibilities were outraged.
2005		Guardian 21 Mar. 18: [cartoon] Pikeys Out!
2011		Guardian 6 Sept. 14/3: Staff working for G48 were overheard referring to detainees s ‘gippos’, ‘pikeys’ and ‘typical Asians’.
2015		I. Welsh Decent Ride 51: It’ll be aw they pikey Hobos doon in Leith [...] thit’ll git it.
2023		M. Herron Secret Hours 24: Another van rumbled down the road, and she scowled. ‘Bloody pikeys’.

2. a turnpike keeper.

1825		"The Turnpike Man’ in Universal Songster I 84/2: ‘How much, Pikey?’— ‘Four- pence.’ — ’Can't you make it less?’.
1838		R.S. Surtees Jorrocks Jaunts (1874) 238: I do old Pikey by having my ’osses on this side. The old screw drew me for four shillings one day for my leaders, two each way.
1840		New Mthly Mag. part 2 361: They arrived at the turnpike-gate; this was lifted carefully from its hinges and deposited in a neighbouring ditch, which must have saved pikey an immensity of annoyance.
1853		Surtees Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour 291: Pikey had to find his glasses, as he called his spectacles, to look out a one-horse-chaise ticket.
1860		F.E. Smedley Seven Tales 31: His master, addressing the turnpike keeper, said [...] ‘Here, Pikey, here’s your money’.

3. a working-class person, considered loutish and tasteless by their middle-class counterparts.

2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 168: Not to mention two fucking pikeys from Middlesborough who are running round the city looking for the gear.
2004		chavscum.co.uk 🌐 Now what makes the Chavs attire so funny is that they think they are at the cutting edge fashion [...] In reality what they do look like are a bunch of fucking pikeys.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 74: Neigbourhood watch generalissimos taking photos of the newly installed pikies.