yokeskey, noun

/ˈjəʊkskeɪ//ˈjəʊkskiː/
Forms:
yokeskei, yoke’s keyShow more Also yokeskei, yoke’s key, yokeski, yokeskie.
Plurals:
yokeskeys, and (formerly) yokeschegen.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more Calque formed on South African Dutch jukschei (later -skei), juk yoke + schei, see skey. The two pronunciations are evidence of two different interpretations of the word’s origin, as yoke + skey and yoke’s + key (see preceding entry).
obsolescent
1. skey sense 1.
1817 G. Barker Journal. 29 MayHeld school &c. Made yoke schegen.
1835 A. Smith Diary (1939) I. 338The woman..took up a yokeskey.
1839 T. Shone Diary. 9 Apr.I mended the sides of my waggon.., after this I made some yoke’s keys.
1850 R.G.G. Cumming Hunter’s Life 24Passing through each end of the yoke, at distances of 18 inches from one another, are two parallel bars of tough wood about 18 inches in length; these are called yoke-skeys.
1864 T. Baines Explor. in S.-W. Afr. 384Plaiting goat-skins into wagon-whips, making yoke-skeis and training young oxen.
1882 C. Du Val With Show through Sn Afr. II. 191Two more bullocks added to the team, ox-yokes, and yokeskeys, and chains purchased.
1899 ‘S. Erasmus’ Prinsloo 17Piet took up a yokeskei and beat them off the waggon.
1907 J.P. Fitzpatrick Jock of Bushveld 95Often..while trekking..something goes wrong with the gear — a yokeskey or a nekstrop breaks.
1914 S.P. Hyatt Old Transport Rd 270Yoke-skeys, the fifteen-inch-long pieces of wood which, passed through the yoke, go on each side of the bullocks’ necks, were constantly breaking.
1934 B.I. Buchanan Pioneer Days 31The straight yoke was placed across their necks and secured by the throat strap attached to the wooden yokeskeys.
1958 R.E. Lighton Out of Strong 78The girls sat around, played hopscotch, or sometimes joined the boys in throwing yokeskeis.
1970 A.J. Du Preez Informant, Misgund, Western CapeYoke Skey. A flat notched piece of timber, to which is attached the strap or ‘riem’ with which the ox is inspanned.
2. figurative. rare. In the idiomatic phrase the extra yokeskey, an unwanted or unneeded person, ‘the fifth wheel on a wagon’.
1934 Cape Argus 19 May (Swart)‘I am the extra yokeskei in the political life of South Africa’ said Mr Roos.
In the idiomatic phrase the extra yokeskey, an unwanted or unneeded person, ‘the fifth wheel on a wagon’.
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18171970

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obsolete or obsolescent
figurative or allusive
yoke key, noun phrasen. phr.Youth Day, noun phrasen. phr.
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