Corny, overly sentimental, obviously fake, or deliberately theatrical in a way that seems unsophisticated or campy.
American slang, possibly derived from 'hocus-pocus' or from 'hokum' (nonsense). It became common in the mid-20th century to describe something trying too hard to be charming but coming across as inauthentic.
Hokey is the word for loving something that's terrible—like the Hokey Pokey dance itself, which is unapologetically silly yet somehow brings joy. It celebrates the beauty of stuff that doesn't take itself seriously.
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