humbug

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhʌmbʌɡ/ (UK); /ˈhəmˌbəɡ/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is of unknown origin.^[2][3][4][5] It appeared in 1751 as student slang at Oxford and Cambridge,^[5][4] and, as the OED noted, its origin seems to have been lost before it became common enough to attract attention.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A hoax, a jest or trick (1751).^[6][4][5]

Semantic evolution

It was a vogue word of the early 1750s, used from the start as both noun and verb.^[5][6] The noun soon meant any sham or fraud (1751) and a person who deceives, an impostor (1763).^[6] As an exclamation of disbelief, “nonsense!”, it is recorded from 1825,^[6] the year it also first names a hard peppermint sweet.^[6][3]

Timeline

• 1751 – a hoax or trick; a sham; verb, to deceive.^[6][4][3][5]
• 1763 – an impostor.^[6]
• 1825 – interjection, nonsense!^[6]
• 1825 – a kind of sweet.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Something meant to deceive; a hoax or fraud.
2. A person who pretends to be what they are not; an impostor.
3. Nonsense; rubbish.
4. Pretence; deception.
5. (British) A hard mint-flavoured sweet.

Verb

1. To deceive or trick.

Interjection

1. Used to express disbelief or disgust.

Word family

• humbugger
• humbuggery

Related words

• hoax
• bug

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press