Sudden occurrence of multiple usages in a particular region (California), where many Irish immigrants were working, and a plausible explanation from Irish Gaeli

Sudden occurrence of multiple usages in a particular region (California), where many Irish immigrants were working, and a plausible explanation from Irish Gaelic, Original gaelic Irish word 'sionnachuighm' meaning to play tricks - rough pronunciation at that time 'shinnuckeem'. is enough for probability. The Gold Rush, like many other economic frenzies, gives us many novel words for fraud: > The "Philadelphia Times" (Nov. 5. 1877), in defining the word skullduggery [which Bartlett calls "a very good and very common word in the West"], says, "Its best Eastern equivalent is shenanigan, although the less complicated word hornswoggling [which Bartlett also identifies as "Western"] rather directly translates it."