hornswoggle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to deceive or trick someone, especially in order to deprive them of money or property

   The fraudulent broker tried to hornswoggle investors with promises of guaranteed returns.

2. 2
   noun

   nonsense, humbug, or deceptive talk

   She dismissed the sales pitch as pure hornswoggle.

An American jocular coinage first recorded in 1829, of uncertain origin. It may combine horn with waggle or wobble, perhaps evoking a lassoed steer moving its head to escape. Its playful formation resembles nineteenth-century inventions such as absquatulate.

Topics