humbug

Noun

humbug (countable and uncountable, plural humbugs)

1. (countable, slang) A hoax, jest, or prank.
   • The universal jester: or, a pocket companion for the wits. Being a choice collection of merry conceits, facetious Drolleries, humorous Waggeries, smart Repartees, pleasant Jokes, Clenchers, Closures, Bon Mots, and Humbugs; comic Stories, notable Puns, witty Quibbles, and ridiculous Bulls. To which...1754, Ferdinando Killigrew, The Universal Jester: or, A Pocket Companion for the Wits, London: […] R. Whitworth, […]; J. Warcus, […]; R. Richards, […]; W. Mynors, […]; and W. Heard, […], →OCLC, title...
   • The profeſſor of the modern Humbugg, for ſuch is the polite name of this qualification, muſt either have from nature an unalterable countenance, or from art a power of commanding all its ſucceſſive variations, and preſerving it inviolably in each, as long as the present ſituation of the caſe...1772 November, “A Short Dissertation on the Modern Art of Humbugging”, in The Covent-Garden Magazine; or, Amorous Repository: […], volume I, London: […] G. Allen, […], →OCLC, pages 175–176
2. (countable, slang) A fraud or sham; (uncountable) hypocrisy.
   • Look at the affairs of nations on the widest scale—look at their intercourse with each other—look at the manifestoes, by which war is declared—look at the treaties, by which peace is restored—look at the professions of kings, or popes, or generals, or ministers. Is not cant, humbug, hypocrisy, the...1822 August, “On Humbug, Pro and Con—and the Art of Puffing”, in [J. S. Boone], editor, The Council of Ten, volume I, number III, London: […] Thomas Wilkie, […], →OCLC, page 327
   • What is the civility of the landlord and his waiters but humbug? What the smirking, smiling, ducking and bowing of the shopkeeper, but humbug? What his sweet and gentle "yes, sirs," and "no, sirs," and "proud to serve you, sirs," but humbug? You are not goose enough to believe for a moment that he...1840 August 29, “C.”, “Humbug”, in George Petrie, editor, The Irish Penny Journal. […], volume I, number 9, Dublin: […] Gunn and Cameron, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 67, column 1
3. (countable, slang) A cheat, fraudster, or hypocrite.
   • He is a political humbug, the greatest of all humbugs; a man who swaggers about London clubs and consults solemnly about his influence, and in the country is a nonentity.1845, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XI, in Sybil; or The Two Nations. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book II, page 235
   • All poets are humbugs, all literary men are humbugs; directly a man begins to sell his feelings for money he’s a humbug.1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 42, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published...
4. (slang, uncountable) Nonsense.
   • But let me tell Warner, and all ether geniuses of his cast, that such inventions are all a humbug. Such, tactics and tools are all to short-sighted and short-bit­ted for the work proposed.1846, editorial staff, “"The Long Range" of the Gospel”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 2, Issue 13, page 99
   • When they had gone, Ma Potter opened her eyes. She said, "Pay no attention, child. Don't upset yourself. Just humbug, that's all." / "What do you mean?" Cora whispered. […] "You mean, telling lies?" / "Not altogether. Humbuggery is what people talk without thinking. Lies are deliberate. Are you a...1992, Nina Bawden, chapter 3, in Humbug, New York, N.Y.: Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 17
5. (UK, countable) A type of hard sweet (candy), usually peppermint flavoured with a striped pattern.
   • […] and if Albert Dykes wasn't sucking a mint humbug, my nose is not what it is and always has been.1928, Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train
   • Humbugs are sweet, hard candies with a mild peppermint flavor, which are traditionally made in small batches by hand. […] Humbugs often feature the old-fashioned peppermint-stripe coloration, dark brown and off-white; are usually oblong or square (about the size of your thumb); […]2003, Michael Morpurgo, “How to Make Old-fashioned Peppermint Humbugs”, in Private Peaceful, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN
6. (US, countable, slang) Anything complicated, offensive, troublesome, unpleasant or worrying; a misunderstanding, especially if trivial.
7. (US, countable, slang, African-American Vernacular) A fight.
   • Yet, for all the ferocity, the fights were short-lived. Every group except the Vice Kings, who had been most threatened, were brought under control fairly quickly and stayed to see the basketball game—only the Vice Kings missed it. Moreover, despite talk of retaliation, the humbug was...1969, Ruth Shonle Cavan, editor, Readings in Juvenile Delinquency, 2nd edition, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J. B. Lippincott & Co., →OCLC, pages 225–226
   • Vice Lords refer to all kinds of fighting as humbugging. A fight between a boy and his father, a fight between males and females, a fight between rival clubs, or any other kind of fight can be referred to as a humbug. However, Vice Lords further distinguish between kinds of fighting. Gangbanging...1972, Thomas Kochman, editor, Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out: Communication in Urban Black America, Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, →ISBN, page 364
8. (US, countable, dated, slang, African-American Vernacular) A gang.
9. (US, countable, slang, crime) A false arrest on trumped-up charges.
   • "Let's talk first, Mr. Brown," Sergeant Murillo said. "Do you remember telling these officers you were going to sue them for false arrest?" / Bootsie Brown paused with the cookie halfway to his lips and said, "I mighta. It was a humbug arrest. That's why they let me and Axel outta jail in...2009, Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Moon: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN
   • I pulled the initial investigation report. I see who arrested him and I knew it was a humbug. A humbug is a bullshit arrest. No Police Officer likes to believe they exist; however sometimes it was a fact of life.2013, Sparky McLaughlin, “‘Et Tu (Fill in Name Here) …’”, in Damned from Memory, Swedesboro, N.J.: Damned from Memory LLC, BookBaby, →ISBN
10. (countable, slang, perhaps by extension) The piglet of the wild boar.
    • Many have been cross-bred with commercial breeds such as Tamworths, producing a "superbreed" of fertile boar, which were "more robust", and could produce five or six young. known as humbugs, per litter.2018 November 24, The Times, London, page 3

Interjection

1. (slang) Balderdash!, nonsense!, rubbish!
   • [Mr. Clarendon] Steady. Aristotle laughs at you. / [Mr. Algernon Sidney] Twist. He's an impertinent fellow! I say again—Liberty! freedom! glory! / Steady. Humbug! humbug! humbug!1841 October, “Ambition. A Farce.”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume L, number CCCXII, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood & Sons, →OCLC, page 438
   • "A Merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach. / "Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!" / […] "Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean...1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 6–7

Verb

humbug (third-person singular simple present humbugs, present participle humbugging, simple past and past participle humbugged)

1. (ambitransitive, slang) To play a trick on (someone), to cheat, to swindle, to deceive.
   • Here's a Humbugger come, / Will prove the reſt nothing at all, / 'Tis a Jobber, a Factor, / A damn'd Corn Contractor, / Who makes all our Loaves be ſo ſmall; […] And may all ſuch elves, / Be thus Humbugg'd themſelves, / Who thus are Humbugging the poor: / And as ſure as the Bone makes the Cleaver...1796, “The Nine Days Wonder! or the Humbug of Butcher Row. Sung by Mr. Dighton.”, in Songs, &c. in The Spirit of the Grotto. Or an Hour at Weybridge. A Musical Spectacle, as Performed at Sadler's...
   • Of all trades and arts in repute or possession, / Humbugging is held the most ancient profession. / Twixt nations, and parties, and state politicians, / Prim shopkeepers, jobbers, smooth lawyers, physicians, / Of worth and of wisdom the trial and test / Is—mark ye, my friends!—who shall humbug the...1810, Henry Brooke, “Epilogue on Humbugging”, in Samuel Johnson and Alexander Chalmers, The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper; including the Series Edited, with Prefaces...
2. (US, slang, African-American Vernacular) To fight; to act tough.
3. (obsolete, slang) To waste time talking.