By Hook or by Crook Is Older Than Anyone Can Explain
A hook is a curved piece of metal for catching or hanging. Its most famous idiom has no settled origin.
A hook is a curved piece of metal or other material for catching, holding or hanging things. *By hook or by crook* is recorded in English from the 1300s, and none of the stories told about it holds up. The commonest explanation, that peasants could take firewood reachable by shepherd's crook or billhook, appears only centuries after the phrase itself. A *hook* is also a boxing punch, a curving ball in golf and cricket, and the memorable phrase of a pop song.
- A curved catch. *A coat hook.*
- A punch. *A left hook.*
- A song's catchy part. *A great hook.*
- By hook or by crook — by any means. *By hook or by crook.*
- Old English — *hoc*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hook | A hook. |
| Plural | hooks | Hooks. |
| Verb | hook | Hooked. |
| Adjective | hooked | Hooked. |
| Old English | hoc | A hook. |
- Hang your coat on the hook.Object.
- He threw a left hook.Boxing.
- The song has a strong hook.Music.
Hook idioms
- By hook or by crook — by any means available
- Off the hook — released from obligation, from a fish escaping
- Hook, line and sinker — completely taken in
- Get your hooks into — take firm hold of someone
- Sling your hook — British slang for go away
Old English *hoc*, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch *hoek*, a corner or hook.
Where does by hook or by crook come from?
Nobody knows. The phrase is recorded from the 1300s and the popular explanations about firewood appear only centuries later.
What is a hook in a song?
The short memorable phrase, musical or lyrical, designed to catch and hold a listener's attention.