hogwash

English

Etymology

From Middle English *hoggewasch (found only as Middle English hoggyswasch (“refuse of the kitchen for feeding pigs”, literally “hog's wash”)), equivalent to hog +‎ wash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɒɡwɒʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

hogwash (usually uncountable, plural hogwashes)

1. (informal, figurative) Foolish talk or writing; nonsense.

   Synonym: nonsense

   • 2016, T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell, The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition, BenBella Books, Inc., page 214:

     We have more faith in the average American than that. It’s not true that Americans love hogwash— it’s that hogwash inundates Americans, whether they want it or not! Some Americans want the truth— they just haven’t been able to find it because it is drowned out by hogwash.

   • 2019 March 14, Ramzy Baroud, “Chasing mirages: What are Palestinians doing to combat ‘Deal of the Century’?”, in Ma'an News‎^[1]:

     Diplomatic hogwash aside, ‘efficiency and effectiveness’ have nothing to do with the shutting of the Consulate. The decision is but a continuation of successive US measures aimed at “taking Jerusalem off the table” – as per Trump’s own words - of any future negotiations.

1. (literal) A mixture of solid and liquid food scraps fed to pigs; swill. [from mid 15th c.]

   Synonyms: slop, slops, swill

Synonyms

• (foolish talk): See Thesaurus:nonsense

Related terms

• pigwash
• pigswill from swill
• See Derived terms of wash

Translations

nonsense

• Bulgarian: глу́пости (bg) f pl (glúposti)
• Dutch: prietpraat (nl) m
• Finnish: pötypuhe (fi), hölynpöly (fi)
• French: baratin (fr) m, boniment (fr) m
• German: Quatsch (de) m, Unsinn (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: κουραφέξαλα (el) n pl (kouraféxala)
• Italian: cazzata (it) f, stupidaggine (it) f, corbelleria (it) f, minchiata (it) f
• Portuguese: disparate (pt) m
• Russian: бред си́вой кобы́лы (ru) m (bred sívoj kobýly) (lit.: delirium of a grey mare), вздор (ru) m (vzdor), ерунда́ (ru) f (jerundá), глу́пости (ru) f pl (glúposti), фигня́ (ru) f (fignjá) (slang)
• Spanish: tonterías (es) f pl

scraps fed to pigs

• Bulgarian: помия (bg) f (pomija)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: pastone (it) m, intruglio (it) m, avanzi (it) m pl, sbobba (it) f
• Russian: помо́и (ru) f pl (pomói)