In Rommany, all the world over, _cova_ means "a thing," but it is almost indefinite in its applicability.

"It is," says Pott, "a general helper on all occasions; is used as substantive and adjective, and has a far wider scope than the Latin _res_." Thus _covo_ may mean "that man;" _covi_, "that woman;" and _covo_ or _cuvvo_, as it very often does in English, "that, there." It sometimes appears in the word _acovat_, or _this_.
There is no expression more frequent in a Gipsy's mouth, and it is precisely the one which would be probably overheard by "Gorgios" and applied to persons.

I believe that it first made its appearance in English slang as _covey_, and was then pronounced _cuvvy_, being subsequently abbreviated into cove.
Quite a little family of words has come into English from the Rommany, _Hocben_, _huckaben_, _hokkeny_, or _hooker_, all meaning a lie, or to lie, deception and _humbug_.

Mr Borrow shows us that _hocus_, to "bewitch" liquor with an opiate, and _hoax_, are probably Rommany from this root, and I have no doubt that the expression, "Yes, with a _hook_," meaning "it is false," comes from the same.

The well-known "Hookey" who corresponds so closely with his untruthful and disreputable pal "Walker," is decidedly of the streets--gipsy.