To stay away from work and duty, or esp from school without an excuse; be truant
[1848+; probably fr hook it]
Idioms and Phrases with play hooky
play hooky
Be absent from school or some other obligation without permission, as in It was such a beautiful day that Herb played hooky from work. In this term, the noun hooky may have come from the phrase hook it, meaning “escape.” [ Mid-1800s ]