Crinkum-crankum

(glossary entry) Crincum-crancum,—Lines of irregularity and involution.

I had no notion of being lost in so much light; but I had wander'd out of the main streets, and was got to the crinkum-crankum parts of London, where there are turnings and windings on every side.

‘... yet if she will come into the court riding backward upon a black ram, with his tail in her hand, and say the words following, the steward is bound, by the custom, to re-admit her to her free-bench: — Here I am Riding upon a black ram, Like a ***** as I am; Who, for my Crinkum Crankum, Have lost my Binkum Bankum; * * * * * * * * * * * * Therefore, I pray you, Mr. Steward, let me have my land again.’ [...] That Crinkum Crankum is not less descriptive of tortuosity of opinion as it is of irregularity of conduct.

And the artists vainly endeavoured to preserve them by means of vases, pyramids, busts, scrolls, coats-of-arms, projecting cornices, broken pediments, and by what has not inappropriately been called the ‘crinkum-crankum’ style of Elizabeth and James; in which angles and curves are, as before, studiously intermixed, but intermixed without due proportion; and entangle the eye in a labyrinth of fractured lines, without unity, or harmony, or grace.

“... I tell you men, them's Crinkum-crankum whales.” ¶ “And what is them?” said a sailor. ¶ “Why, them is whales that can't be cotched.”

Forty years ago one who had known it well described it to me as a crincum-crancum kind of house, full of ins and outs.

Before the Congressional observer team went home, Lugar read a thin-soup statement, crinkum-crankum so packed with "Pash Commit of Flips to Dem" that a Hong Kong TV correspondent was moved to ask, "For those of us who are not native English speakers, could you please tell us what you are saying?"