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Pokey vs Pikey - What's the difference?

pokey | pikey |

As nouns the difference between pokey and pikey

is that pokey is prison while pikey is a low-ranking soldier who merely carries a pike.

As an adjective pokey

is of a room, house of small volume, cramped.

As a verb pikey is

to steal.

pokey

English

Alternative forms

* poky

Adjective

(head)
  • of small volume, cramped
  • * 1913 ,
    • He loved the little pokey kitchen, where men’s boots tramped, and the dog slept with one eye open for fear of being trodden on; where the lamp hung over the table at night, and everything was so silent.
  • (slang) slow
  • (slang, of a car) fast

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • prison.

    • Synonyms

    * in the poke

    pikey

    English

    Etymology 1

    pike + -y

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A low-ranking soldier who merely carries a pike.

    • Etymology 2

    From obsolete pike , to depart or travel, or possibly from turnpike (en) - needs to be confirmed

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (British, pejorative) A working-class (often underclass) person; can vary from specifically Irish Travellers to gypsies or travellers from any ethnic background, but now increasingly used for any socially undesirable person, with negative connotations of benefit fraud, theft, single-parent families and living on run-down estates.
    • See also
    * charva * chav * yob * gypsy

    Etymology 3

    Derived from the stereotype that all gypsies or other travellers are thieves.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (UK, slang, derogatory) to steal.