hornswoggle
UK /ˈhɔːn.swɒɡ.əl/ · US /ˈhɔɹn.swɑ.ɡəl/ verb, noun
Forms hornswoggles hornswoggling hornswoggled
- verb (transitive, slang) To deceive or trick. “Don't let them hornswoggle you into buying anything you don't need.”
- noun (slang) nonsense; humbug
Synonyms
deceive dupe trick victimize swindle rook goldbrick nobble diddle bunco defraud scam mulct gyp gip short-change con
Etymology
Unknown, 1829 US, jocular coinage like contemporary absquatulate. 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.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “hornswoggle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details