▪ I. pokey1 slang (chiefly U.S.).
(ˈpəʊkɪ)
Also poky.
[Alteration of pogey, prob. infl. by poky a.1]
Prison, gaol.
| 1919 C. H. Darling Jargon Book 26 Pokey, a jail. 1929 D. Runyon in Hearst's International Aug. 73/2 He hears riding rum is illegal and may land a guy in the pokey. 1947 Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Virginia) 24 June 6/2 They gave the police a list of the phone numbers to call if it became necessary to turn any of the old grads in the direction of the pokey. 1955 ‘S. Ransome’ Deadly Bedfellows viii. 70 Instead of thanking him, you've threatened to throw us both into the pokey. 1957 M. Millar Soft Talkers 151 This isn't the Royal York Hotel, but it's better than a cell in the local pokey. 1965 ‘D. Shannon’ Death-Bringers (1966) iv. 50, I find that our star sleuth..has..carted him off to the pokey. 1974 Maclean's (Toronto) Dec. 30/2 A number of revered figures sat out the Depression in the poky, because they fiddled with other people's money. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 29 May 18/4 Were it possible to prosecute an actor for stealing scenes, The Missouri Breaks (United Artists) would land Marlon Brando in the pokey for life. |
▪ II. pokey2, pokie Austral.
[Familiar corruption of poker n.4]
= poker machine s.v. poker n.4 b.
| 1967 D. Horne Southern Exposure 44 In the clubs of Sydney the poker machines (‘the pokies’) stand up in dozens and more beer flows than in a hotel. 1968 TV Times (Brisbane) 27 Nov. 6/2 In his unmarried days Henderson was surefire meat for bandits (the one-armed type). ‘Never play the pokies now,’ he says. 1969 Telegraph (Brisbane) 4 Jan. 6/2 He bought a beer and walked over to the nearest ‘pokey’ with the change from a {pstlg}5 ($10) note. He put this through the machine and tripled his money. 1969 Australian 24 May 40/3 He painted a glowing picture of Melbournites banking their money or investing it in homes while the degenerate New South Welshmen frittered away their cash on the pokeys. 1976 Sydney Morning Herald 23 Sept. (Advt.), Entertainment... There are pokies, casino, disco, movies. |