also hi-jinks, high jinks, "boisterous capers, lively or boisterous sport," 1842, from name of games played at drinking parties (1690s). See jink.
Entries linking to hijinks
jink v.
1715, "move nimbly; wheel or fling about in dancing," a Scottish word of unknown origin. It also came to mean "elude, dodge" (1774); "to trick, cheat" (1785). As a noun, "act of eluding" (1786). For high jinks, see hijinks, the date of which suggests this word is older than the record.