adj. (colloquial).—Anything questionable: generic—unstable, insolvent, unwell, dishonest, immoral, drunken, ignorant. SHAKINESS = hesitancy, degeneracy.

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  1841.  THACKERAY, The Great Hoggarty Diamond, x. Our director was—what is not to be found in Johnson’s ‘Dictionary’—rather SHAKY.

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  1853.  BULWER-LYTTON, My Novel, XI. xvii. I must be off presently to those three SHAKY voters in Fish Lane.

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  1854.  WHYTE-MELVILLE, General Bounce, x. Is it not a noble ambition to arrive at terms of apparent intimacy with this SHAKY grandee?

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  1858.  New York Tribune, 21 Jan. Four … adverse, and several others SHAKY.

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  1859.  G. ELIOT, Adam Bede, xxviii. I feel terribly SHAKY and dizzy.

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  1861.  H. KINGSLEY, Ravenshoe, xviii. Affairs are getting somewhat SHAKY there: Welter’s tradesmen can’t get any money.

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  1890.  GRANT ALLEN, The Tents of Shem, x. I expect your chances would have been SHAKY.

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  1900.  R. H. SAVAGE, Brought to Bay, iv. A few women, faultless in attire, even if SHAKY in morals.

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