General
hickey
What does hickey mean?
An electrician's hand tool for putting bends in rigid conduit — a short hooked head on a handle you walk down the pipe, making the bend in small increments. Old-school, slow, and easy to kink if you rush. Mostly displaced by proper shoe benders, but still in every veteran's truck.
"Grab the hickey, this offset's too tight to fight with the big bender."
Origin
American electrical trade slang, early 20th century — origin obscure; 'hickey' as a generic 'thingamajig' predates the specific tool.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hickey mean in electrical work?
A hickey is a hand bender used to shape rigid electrical conduit by leverage.
How do you use Hickey in a sentence?
Grab the hickey and put a nice bend in that conduit before we run it.
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