The word hoodlum first pops up in the 1870’s in San Francisco to refer to the exact thing it does now: guys who are up to no good. In the journal Notes and Queries, you’ll find all kinds of discussion on hoodlum. This is part of a...
Hoodwink, meaning to deceive, goes back to a very literal kind of “putting something over” someone. Thieves in markets might throw a cloak or other covering over a victim’s head before robbing them, leaving the person unable to see. The wink part...
Cabbies are sometimes known to stretch their hood, which means to fib to the dispatcher about their location. Sometimes they have to drive out of bounds to pick up a fare. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Stretch the...