bamfoozle

English

Etymology

Variant of bamboozle, possibly influenced by confuse; see Cassell's Dictionary of Slang.

Verb

bamfoozle (third-person singular simple present bamfoozles, present participle bamfoozling, simple past and past participle bamfoozled)

1. (colloquial) To confound; to perplex.
   • 1899, Mayne Reid, “Chapter XLIV, A New and Terrible Enemy”, in The Rifle Rangers, F. M. Lupton Pub. Co., page 294:

     "'I kin see no other chance, cap'n, than ter take the water: we may bamfoozle the houn's a bit, if thar's good wadin'.'"

   • 1902, Simon Miltimore Dufur, “Chapter XIV”, in Over the Dead Line, Free Press Association, page 176:

     "'Bamfoozle de hounds and may def cut off dare scent.'"

   • 1919, The Southwestern Reporter, vol. 211, West Publishing Co., page 46:

     "Then why try to fool and flimflam and bamfoozle a jury of Jackson county men?"