[ skuhl-duhg-uh-ree ]
noun, plural
dishonorable proceedings; mean dishonesty or trickery
I am at a complete loss as to why we don't use this word more often in our everyday speech. After all, there is MUCH dishonesty and trickery going on all around us. However, what makes this word extra special is that it connotes a sense of meanness in the trickery. That takes the dishonesty or trickery to a whole new level.
The best and most recent instance of skullduggery that I can think of is the bussing in of rioters to specifically cause chaos and destruction at organized protests. Protests that would have otherwise been peaceful. The systematic planning, recruitment, payment, and providing materials like bricks for rioters who had no aim other than to turn the situation as volatile as possible is the perfect example of this term.
Anytime a malicious manipulation is paired with deception, you have yourself a stinkingly ripe instance of skullduggery. A beautiful word for a rotten act.
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