Skulduggery, which can also be spelled "skullduggery," was first documented in the mid-19th century spelled as "scull-duggery." Etymologists aren't sure exactly how the word arrived in English, but they do not believe it has anything to do with skulls. It is possibly derived from the now-very-rare "sculduddery," a term once used to refer to gross or lewd conduct, but unfortunately the origins of that word are also unknown.
tales of espionage and skulduggery the company's apparently healthy bottom line was merely an illusion, the result of years of accounting skulduggery
Recent Examples on the WebTwo years later, Henry James published The Aspern Papers, the longest of his many tales of biographical skulduggery. Christopher Tayler, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 The history of executive power in the United States is replete with conspiratorial intrigues, skulduggery and acts of corruption. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2022 Polish urban explorers who sneaked into the property found Russian newspapers from as late as 2005, long after the Russians had supposedly left, reinforcing the compound’s reputation as a haven for undercover skulduggery.New York Times, 4 May 2022 These two mechanisms, the Treasure Act and the PAS, haven’t worked flawlessly—skulduggery persists. Joshua Levine, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Mar. 2022 What is there in Le Prince’s story, aside from Edison’s supposed skulduggery, to warrant book-length treatment? Nat Segnit, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022 That’s when a move to lower the endorsement voting threshold — apparently to benefit former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer — was rejected amid divisions within the party and accusations of skulduggery.San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2021 The sticking-point was a problem that has long bedevilled the EU: how to tackle corruption and other skulduggery in countries that benefit from EU transfers.The Economist, 16 Dec. 2020 Four years later, he was defeated by Thomas Jefferson in a fraught election that exposed deep internal rifts among Americans, racial anxieties and more than a little skulduggery. Ted Widmer, WSJ, 4 Dec. 2020 See More