Knavery

Word of the Day for Saturday, November 19, 2011

knavery \NEY-vuh-ree\, noun:

1. Unprincipled, untrustworthy, or dishonest dealing; trickery.
2. Action or practice characteristic of a knave
3. A knavish act or practice.

Knavery may serve for a turn, but honesty is best in the long run.
-- Aesop, Aesop's Fables

Yes, I took the brunt of it but not because there was a ballot on it but because I know knavery when I see knavery. Plus underhandedness and mischief.
-- Gordon Lish, Collected Fictions

Originally from the German word knabe meaning “boy or lad,” knavery has been used to imply deceitful intentions since the 1200s.

With thanks to: http://www.dictionary.com/