hornswoggle
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Unknown, 1829 US,[1] jocular coinage like contemporary absquatulate.[2] Presumably horns + waggle with humorous faux ablaut or combination with wobble (compare later woggle, 1923), perhaps inspired by lassoed steers trying to escape by moving their head.[3][2]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhɔːn.swɒɡ.əl/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɔɹn.swɑ.ɡəl/
Audio (GA) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Hyphenation: horn‧swog‧gle
Verb[edit]
hornswoggle (third-person singular simple present hornswoggles, present participle hornswoggling, simple past and past participle hornswoggled)
- (transitive, slang) To deceive or trick.
- Don't let them hornswoggle you into buying anything you don't need.
Synonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
to deceive or trick
Noun[edit]
hornswoggle
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “hornswoggle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Michael Quinion (October 30, 2004) “Hornswoggle”, in World Wide Words.
- ^ A Dictionary of the Old West, Peter Watts
- John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
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