By hook or by crook
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
By any means that prove possible, whether straightforward or not. The means may be merely resourceful or may shade into unscrupulous behaviour, depending on context. Regional use: Long established in British and wider English.
Origin
The expression is present in Middle English and was proverbial centuries before several popular stories said to explain it. Its precise image is unresolved. Hook and crook may have referred to tools used to gather permitted wood, but that explanation is not proven; the tale involving Cromwell, Hook Head and Crooke postdates the phrase and cannot be its source.
Variants
- By crook or by hook
- Either by hook or by crook
- By hook and by crook
Usage Examples
- By hook or by crook, we need to have the village hall ready before Saturday.
- She was determined to reach the archive by hook or by crook.
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