jinks

If someone is up to their "old jinks," they are back to their usual playful tricks or noisy antics. The word suggests lively mischief, not real harm. It often has a cheerful or teasing tone, even when the behavior is a little annoying.

It has an old-fashioned sound and is most often seen in phrases like "high jinks" or "old jinks." You would use it for rowdy fun, pranks, or silly behavior, not for anything serious or dangerous. In a story, a group of children racing through the house, laughing and causing a mess, might be described as getting up to jinks.

"Jinks" is an old-fashioned, lively word for playful mischief, noisy fun, or silly behavior that causes a bit of harmless trouble. It usually points to actions rather than a single act: a run of pranks, rough play, or cheerful disorder. The tone is often amused rather than angry, which is why the word fits children, pranksters, party scenes, or comic characters so well.

Most people now meet the word in set phrases such as "high jinks" and "old jinks." "High jinks" usually means rowdy, excited fun, often in a group. "Old jinks" suggests familiar tricks or the same mischievous behavior someone is known for. If a novel says the boys were up to their old jinks again, it means they were likely laughing, running about, and causing mild chaos in the way they always do.

The word should not be confused with "jinx," which is about bad luck. "Jinks" is about behavior, energy, and mischief. It is also less common in everyday modern speech than words like "antics" or "pranks," so it often adds a slightly literary or vintage feel. In the right setting, though, it paints a vivid picture of people having spirited fun and making just enough trouble to be memorable.