to play hooky
Idiom Definition:
"to play hooky"
to not attend (without notice or excuse) school when it is compulsory to attend school
This boy is trying to play hooky. - - - - -> 
Idiom Scenario 1:
One Friday morning, Johnny's friend Stan stops by Johnny's house on the way to school to pick Johnny up for school. It is a beautiful spring day. It is warm and the sun is shining. Stan asks Johnny if he really wants to go to school. Johnny replies...
"Not really. Let's play hooky today."
Even though both boys will get into trouble from their parents and the school authorities, the wonderful spring day is too much of a temptation.
Idiom Scenario 2:
Two coworkers are talking at the end of the workday. One worker tells the other that the boss will not be in the office the next day. The worker also says that it is supposed to be a perfect day for golf. They look at each other with knowing smiles and say at the same time...
"Let´s play hooky tomorrow and go golfing."
Idiom Scenario 3:
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Idiom Usage:
This idiom can have a positive or negative aspect.
The aspect can be positive. For the student, it is a free day to do as the students wishes. It is a reprieve from school and is a little sweeter because it is a "special" time away from school, a "guilty pleasure".
The aspect can be negative. For the school authorities, this would be considered an unexcused absence from school. Therefore, the student would be considered truant and necessary measures would need to be taken.
This idiom is used mainly to talk about absence from school. It is quite common to use this idiom to talk about an absence from anything that is obligatory.
Similar to: French leave
Gerund Form of the Idiom:
Playing hooky can be a lot of fun.
Idiom Conjugations:
to play hooky
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I play hooky when I feel lazy. |
I do not play hooky when I feel lazy. |
Do I play hooky when I feel lazy? |
| Second-singular (you) | You play hooky if the boss is away. |
You do not play hooky if the boss is away. |
Do you play hooky if the boss is away? |
| Third-singular (he) | He plays hooky when school is too boring. |
He does not play hooky when school is too boring. |
Does he play hooky when school is too boring? |
| Third-singular (she) | She plays hooky when she thinks there is no consequences. |
She does not play hooky when she thinks there is no consequences. |
Does she play hooky when she thinks there is no consequences? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We play hooky when we do not want to go to practice. |
We do not play hooky when we do not want to go to practice. |
Do we play hooky when we do not want to go to practice? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) play hooky when you (all) need to study instead. |
You (all) do not play hooky when you (all) need to study instead. |
Do you (all) play hooky when you (all) need to study instead? |
| Third-plural (they) | They play hooky when the weather is nice. |
They do not play hooky when the weather is nice. |
Do they play hooky when the weather is nice? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I am playing hooky right now. |
I am not playing hooky right now. |
Am I playing hooky right now? |
| Second-singular (you) | You are playing hooky right now. |
You are not playing hooky right now. |
Are you playing hooky right now? |
| Third-singular (he) | He is playing hooky right now. |
He is not playing hooky right now. |
Is he playing hooky right now? |
| Third-singular (she) | She is playing hooky right now. |
She is not playing hooky right now. |
Is she playing hooky right now? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We are playing hooky right now. |
We are not playing hooky right now. |
Are we playing hooky right now? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) are playing hooky right now. |
You are (all) not playing hooky right now. |
Are you (all) playing hooky right now? |
| Third-plural (they) | They are playing hooky right now. |
They are not playing hooky right now. |
Are they playing hooky right now? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I have played hooky before. |
I have not played hooky before. |
Have I played hooky before? |
| Second-singular (you) | You have played hooky before. |
You have not played hooky before. |
Have you played hooky before? |
| Third-singular (he) | He has played hooky before. |
He has not played hooky before. |
Has he played hooky before? |
| Third-singular (she) | She has played hooky before. |
She has not played hooky before. |
Has she played hooky before? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We have played hooky before. |
We have not played hooky before. |
Have we played hooky before? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) have played hooky before. |
You (all) have not played hooky before. |
Have you (all) played hooky before? |
| Third-plural (they) | They have played hooky before. |
They have not played hooky before. |
Have they played hooky before? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I have been playing hooky since Monday. |
I have not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Have I been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You have been playing hooky since Monday. |
You have not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Have you been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He has been playing hooky since Monday. |
He has not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Has he been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She has been playing hooky since Monday. |
She has not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Has she been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We have been playing hooky since Monday. |
We have not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Have we been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) have been playing hooky since Monday. |
You (all) have not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Have you (all) been playing hooky since Monday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They have been playing hooky since Monday. |
They have not been playing hooky since Monday. |
Have they been playing hooky since Monday? |
to play hooky
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I played hooky last Monday. |
I did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did I play hooky last Monday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You played hooky last Monday. |
You did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did you play hooky last Monday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He played hooky last Monday. |
He did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did he play hooky last Monday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She played hooky last Monday. |
She did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did she play hooky last Monday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We played hooky last Monday. |
We did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did we play hooky last Monday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) played hooky last Monday. |
You (all) did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did you (all) play hooky last Monday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They played hooky last Monday. |
They did not play hooky last Monday. |
Did they play hooky last Monday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I was playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
I was not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Was I playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Second-singular (you) | You were playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
You were not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Were you playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Third-singular (he) | He was playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
He was not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Was he playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Third-singular (she) | She was playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
She was not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Was she playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We were playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
We were not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Were we playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) were playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
You (all) were not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Were you (all) playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| Third-plural (they) | They were playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
They were not playing hooky when the school telephoned. |
Were they playing hooky when the school telephoned? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I had played hooky before last Monday. |
I had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had I played hooky before last Monday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You had played hooky before last Monday. |
You had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had you played hooky before last Monday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He had played hooky before last Monday. |
He had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had he played hooky before last Monday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She had played hooky before last Monday. |
She had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had she played hooky before last Monday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We had played hooky before last Monday. |
We had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had we played hooky before last Monday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) had played hooky before last Monday. |
You (all) had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had you (all) played hooky before last Monday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They had played hooky before last Monday. |
They had not played hooky before last Monday. |
Had they played hooky before last Monday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
I had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had I been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Second-singular (you) | You had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
You had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had you been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Third-singular (he) | He had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
He had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had he been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Third-singular (she) | She had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
She had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had she been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
We had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had we been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
You (all) had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had you (all) been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
| Third-plural (they) | They had been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
They had not been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang. |
Had they been playing hooky all day when the telephone rang? |
to play hooky
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will play hooky next Monday. I am going to play hooky next Monday. |
I will not play hooky next Monday. I am not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will I play hooky next Monday? Am I going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will play hooky next Monday. You are going to play hooky next Monday. |
You will not play hooky next Monday. You are not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will you play hooky next Monday? Are you going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will play hooky next Monday. He is going to play hooky next Monday. |
He will not play hooky next Monday. He is not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will he play hooky next Monday? Is he going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will play hooky next Monday. She is going to play hooky next Monday. |
She will not play hooky next Monday. She is not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will she play hooky next Monday? Is she going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will play hooky next Monday. We are going to play hooky next Mondays. |
We will not play hooky next Monday. We are not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will we play hooky next Monday? Are we going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will play hooky next Monday. You (all) are going to play hooky next Monday. |
You (all) will not play hooky next Monday. You (all) are not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will you (all) play hooky next Monday? Are you (all) going to play hooky next Monday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will play hooky next Monday. They are going to play hooky next Monday. |
They will not play hooky next Monday. They are not going to play hooky next Monday. |
Will they play hooky next Monday? Are they going to play hooky next Monday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will be playing hooky all day next Monday. I am going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
I will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. I am not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will I be playing hooky all day next Monday? Am I going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will be playing hooky all day next Monday. You are going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
You will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. You are not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will you be playing hooky all day next Monday? Are you going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will be playing hooky all day next Monday. He is going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
He will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. He is not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will he be playing hooky all day next Monday? Is he going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will be playing hooky all day next Monday. She is going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
She will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. She is not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will she be playing hooky all day next Monday? Is she going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will be playing hooky all day next Monday. We are going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
We will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. We are not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will we be playing hooky all day next Monday? Are we going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will be playing hooky all day next Monday. You (all) are going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
You (all) will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. You (all) are not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will you (all) be playing hooky all day next Monday? Are you (all) going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will be playing hooky all day next Monday. They are going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
They will not be playing hooky all day next Monday. They are not going to be playing hooky all day next Monday. |
Will they be playing hooky all day next Monday? Are they going to be playing hooky all day next Monday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will have played hooky by next Tuesday. I am going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
I will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. I am not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will I have played hooky by next Tuesday? Am I going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will have played hooky by next Tuesday. You are going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
You will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. You are not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will you have played hooky by next Tuesday? Are you going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will have played hooky by next Tuesday. He is going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
He will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. He is not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will he have played hooky by next Tuesday? Is he going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will have played hooky by next Tuesday. She is going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
She will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. She is not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will she have played hooky by next Tuesday? Is she going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will have played hooky by next Tuesday. We are going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
We will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. We are not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will we have played hooky by next Tuesday? Are we going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will have played hooky by next Tuesday. You (all) are going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
You (all) will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. You (all) are not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will you (all) have played hooky by next Tuesday? Are you (all) going to have played hooky by next Tuesday?
|
| Third-plural (they) | They will have played hooky by next Tuesday. They are going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
They will not have played hooky by next Tuesday. They are not going to have played hooky by next Tuesday. |
Will they have played hooky by next Tuesday? Are they going to have played hooky by next Tuesday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. I am going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
I will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. I am not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will I have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Am I going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will have playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. You are going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
You will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. You are not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will you have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Are you going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. He is going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
He will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. He is not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will he have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Is he going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. She is going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
She will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. She is not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will she have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Is she going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. We are going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
We will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. We are not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will we have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Are we going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. You (all) are going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
You (all) will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. You (all) are not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will you (all) have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Are you (all) going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. They are going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
They will not have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. They are not going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday. |
Will they have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? Are they going to have been playing hooky for two days by next Wednesday? |
