In cahoots

Originally American in origin, the word cahoot meaning a company or partnership dates from c. 1818. According to the OED, the origin is unknown but because the word appears to have originated in the south/south west United States, there are two theories, both involving French that was spoken in those regions of New Orleans and Louisiana. The first is that it may derive from the French cahute meaning a hut or a shack, presumably in the sense of sharing such a dwelling and therefore being ‘in cahoots’. The second theory is that it may derive from the French cohorte meaning a crowd or company. These theories, however, are not proven. Cahoot was first used in its singular form and the more familiar ‘in cahoots’, meaning in partnership or in close understanding, began to appear during the early 19th century.