Posted by Robert Dilley on September 22, 2002 at 22:37:31 from 65.39.15.64 user rdilley.
In Reply to: Re: brawn posted by John Lambert on September 21, 2002 at 21:57:58:
The complete OED seems to agree with John Lambert: it lists Penny Whistle under "words derived from originally having cost a penny".
All the dictionaries I have checked attribute the origin of hokey-pokey to "hocus-pocus", though they all agree on being baffled as to why.
Incidentally, according to Mayhew, when ice cream was first introduced into London it was sold in small cups with no spoon, and people "were much exercised in deciding how to eat it".