Word of the Day -- Cahoot

Today's word goes out in honor of our fearless leader, the Troll Lord himself.  He's a word guy, whether he knows it or not.  He likes arcane and outdated language, especially those that you can find out there in the "old timey" world.  He's actually fairly anachronistic; he is of another time and place in his heart.  Often as not, you'll find him with cowboy boots in a major metropolitan area.  You'll also hear him say, "thank you kindly" even though that phrase is rarely used outside of old westerns and tea parlors.  And the former, the old westerns, is where I believe you hear today's word most often.  "Cahoot" is used almost exclusively in the phrase "in cahoots," which means "in an alliance or partnership." In most contexts, it describes the conspiring activity of people up to no good. (There's also the rare idiom "go cahoots," meaning "to enter into a partnership," as in "they went cahoots on a new restaurant.") "Cahoot" may derive from French "cahute," meaning "cabin" or "hut," suggesting the notion of two or more people hidden away working together in secret. "Cahute" is believed to have been formed through the combination of two other words for cabins and huts, "cabane" and "hutte."
So the next time you are in cahoots with Steve, tell him "thank you kindly" or better yet, ask him if he's wearing his cowboy boots.  Likely as not, he'll be wearing them and drinking a Dr. Pepper.