1882. Daily Telegraph, 5 Oct., p. 2, c. 2. Nor, can they be very severely blamed for this hugger-mugger, slipshod way of life.
Verb. (common).—To meet by stealth; to lay heads together.
1879. Justin McCarthy, Donna Quixote, ch. xxxii. I can see already that she won’t stand much more of you and me hugger-muggering together.
In hugger-mugger, adv. phr. (old).—1. In secret.
1565. Stapleton, Fort. of the Faith, fol. 88. They should not have lurked all this while in hucker-mucker.
1588. J. Udall, Demonstration of Discipline, p. 30. (ed. Arber). The Byshop without any lawfull election, is chosen in huggermuger of the canons, or prebendaries onely, without the knowledge of the people.
1594. Nashe, Unfortunate Traveller (Grosart, Works, v., 19). Myself that am but a poore childish wel-willer of yours, with the vain thought that a man of your desert and state by a number of pesants and varlets should be so incuriously abused in hugger-mugger haue wept al my vrine upward.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden (Grosart, Works, iii., 181). Hee sent her 18 pence in hugger-mugger, to pay the fiddlers.
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, iv., 5. King. … We have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him.
1602. Dekker, Satiromastix, iii., 133 (Dodsley, Old Plays, viii., 48). One word, sir Quintilian, in hugger-mugger.