Hi
Hackey = like a hack, hack-like. In this context a hack would be a lawyer who is not particularly good or inspired or capable and doesn’t, in all likelihood, care.
Members of other professions/businesses can be a hack: a hack writer, for example. A writer of Schmoeker.
Inzwischen habe ich mich meines Oxford/Dudens bedient und unter “hackneyed” “null acht fuenfzehn” gefunden. And remember hackneyed= hack and hack can be either adjective or noun: a hack work by a hack writer. He is a hack lawyer and you can only expect hack work from him.
Joke…I don’t quite understand this in this context unless we combine it with Hackey and come up with “hackneyed joke.” A hackneyed joke is a common, obvious, clicheed joke. So probably we are intended to read Hackey, Joke as hackneyed joke. Also 08 15 Witz? (Vielleicht soll ich aufhoeren, going back and forth zwischen Englisch and German?)
To dun is to write very forceful, severe, even threatening letters to collect a debt. (Geldforderung). Of course Dunnit = (to) dun it…the “it” being a debt.
The creators of The Simpsons no doubt felt too proud to include the time-worn, yet treasured Dewey, Cheatham and Howe. (Three Stooges)
While wandering the internet seeking the origins or Dewey, Cheatham and Howe, I found a humorous site regarding this fictitious law firm which also shows how valuable the internet is in that it keeps off the street people with too much time on their hands who might otherwise be up to God knows what kind of mischief:
http://requaweb.home.comcast.net/dewey/
And I found other creative attempts:
Cheatham, Cummin and Going
(with apologies:smile: the Law Firm of Ben Dover and Phil McCavity
) LeBoeuf, Lambe & Curry 2) Blast, Bugger & Damn
3) Argew & Phibbs 4) Low, Ball & Lynch
5) Schiester & Schiester 6) Bicker, Back & Forth
7) FLywheel & Shyster 8) I Can’t Believe It’s A Law Firm
9) French, Frye & Coke 10) Amble, Nance & Chaser
11) McConn, Argue & Lies 12) Sharpe, Knife & Slip
13) Chase & Hsu 14) Bobbit, Gillooly & Buttafuoco
15) Wangle, Finagle & Settle 16) Slippe, Falle & Sioux
17) Huey, Dewey & Louie 18) Hooke, Lyne & Sinker
19) Hough, Puff & Blowe 20) Cheatham & Fleesum
21) O’Neal & Pray 22) Smith & Wesson
23) Grin & Barrett 24) Browbeatum, Flogem & Harassem
25) Tonya, Tankum & Takeum 26) Wilson & Trusts
27) Bill, Padding & Howe 28) Skinam, Alive & Flee (and/or Runn)
29) Killer & Ketcham 30) Payne & Suffrin
31) Dewgoode, Befayre & Prosper.
Before I leave I will share this actual (falscher Freund, aufpassen) scene from the early days of the talkies (tonfilme):
A lawyer’s office. The phone rings. A man picks up the phone and answers:
“Steinberg, Steinberg and Steinberg”
“May I speak with Mr. Steinberg?”
“He’s not here.”
“Then may I speak with Mr. Steinberg?”
“He’s not here either.”
……”Then let me speak with Mr. Steinberg.”
“Speaking.”
Apparently I have too much free time, also.
mit freundlichen Gruetzen
Jim