Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. pertaining to trickery or deceit, esp. if sexual.

1844		A. Smith Adventures of Mr Ledbury III 117: He came the common hanky-panky line more than the high delusions. I may say that I was born with a pack of cards in my hand.
1846		Bell’s Life in Sydney 31 Jan. 2/1: Bendy, after a little hankypanky manoeuvring, pooped in his left on Caunt’s mug.
1849		Sam Sly 14 Apr. 3/2: He advises Mr. P——m, the chemist, High-street, not to have so many hanky-panky tricks with the servants; remember, you have sent two away in an interesting situation.
1849		Paul Pry 12 Feb. n.p.: Paul Advises J—m F—n [...] , instead of frequenting the bars of public houses, showing his ability at palming, and other hankey-pankey business, [...] to act justly to all men.
1850		Fast Man 8:1 n.p.: [He] told Thorps, ‘not to bring his Spitalfields’ harlequin-billy's hanky-panky tricks into Covent-garden’.
1853		Bell’s Life in Sydney 2 Apr. 1/2: Hallo! my hanky-panky gen’ulman; vot ave you bin a doin of to the young uin. There must be somethink queer up.
1869		Belfast Morn. News 20 Jan. 4/3: He would have none of his ‘American hanky-panky tricks,’ and would punch his head.
1871		Bristol News (VA, TN) 18 Aug. 3/1: Prof. Wyman, the world renowned Wiz and Ventriloquist, will be here with his ‘hanky panky’ tricks.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 323: There’s some hanky-panky business going on among the men of No. 2 Prison.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 25 Nov. 7/3: There were present [...] Hanky Panky Goodwin, an alleged actor, Jimmy of the Kiss and a swarm of sheenles. Hanky Panky Goodwin delivered a poem on the viirtue ol the stage .
1889		Nottingham Eve. Post 12 Nov. 3/4: Asher said, ‘None of your hanky-panky tricks,’ and struck Burton in the face.
1893		Blackburn Standard 12 Aug. 3/2: There must be no more of this hanky-panky business.
1902		W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 23 Feb. 1/1: Revelations before the Select Committee convict him of hanky-panky loan and land transactions.
1905		H.G. Wells Kipps (1952) 297: Specklated it! [...] played the ’ankeypankey jackass with everything we got.
1906		N.Z. Truth 4 Aug. 4/5: Some hanky-panky business about a valueless cheque.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 22 Sept. 4/7: Wouldn’t do to try hanky-panky tricks with a girl like that [...] She’s as strong as a lion.
1946		J.E. Dadswell Hey, Sucker 29: All carnivals are not ‘hanky-pank jallopies’.
1999		Guardian Sport 1 Jan. 16: The hankypanky style goings on of a vicar or a justice of the peace.
2012		Constitutionally Speaking (S. Afr.) 26 Oct. 🌐 His online CV and profile excludes any refrence to [...] allegations of having been involved in any dirty hankypanky stuff.

2. (Aus., also hank-panky) cranky, silly.

1855		(con. 1839) Fights for the Championship 146: he [...] exhibited a few of his hankey-pankey tricks, making a sort of merry-Andrew dance, but his jollity was soon stopped.
1856		Kentish Gaz. 25 Nov. 6/3: Impatient at the iron horse’s hanky-panky behaviour, so to open the carriage door and pop out was performed in the twinkling of an eye.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 12/1: ‘No hurry, old toucher,’ said the applicant affable; ‘only I want to be in this fake. You can just put me through the hank-panky part, and I’ll be anything you like. A sergeant or captain – it’s all the same to me.’.
1892		Albert Chevalier ‘Yer Can’t ’Elp Likin’ ’Im’ 🎵 ’E’ll play some ’anky panky trick That makes yer feel like strikin’ ’im.
1892		Belmost Chron. (OH) 1 Sept. 2/2: There is no hanky panky business about her trotting.
1896		Valentine Democrat (Neb.) 6 Aug. 3/4: Hanky panky cranky Ann, / Shot at a deer and killed a man.
2002		Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 hanky panky: cranky, silly.

3. (US, also hanky-pank) counterfeit or obtained through trickery or deceit.

1956

H. Gold Man Who Was Not With It (1965) 5: Sick of them all and their pockets full of hanky-pank money.

4. see hanky-spanky adj. (1)