honest Injun

or hon·est in·jun

[ in-juhn ]

adverb

, Older Use: Often Offensive.

1. honestly (used to emphasize the truth of a statement).

Sensitive Note

Honest Injun uses a nonstandard pronunciation spelling of Indian. Popularized by Mark Twain in Tom Sawyer (1876), this expression is now dated and perceived as insulting to American Indians. Though it came to mean “honestly or truly,” the expression may have had its origin in the contrary historical perception that Native Americans were not considered honest or trustworthy until they had proven themselves, for example, as scouts. Indian.

Word History and Origins

Origin of honest Injun¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; Injun