Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
honky, honkie, honkey (n.)
These are variant spellings of the same Vulgar slang word (plural: honkies) meaning “a white person.” It may be an alteration of the ethnic slur hunky (Hungarian), but its origin is still uncertain. Honky and its variant spellings are considered to be racist language and are therefore taboo in Standard English.
