Hornswoggle Definition

hôrnswŏgəl
hornswoggled, hornswoggles, hornswoggling
verb
hornswoggled, hornswoggling
To swindle or hoax; trick.
Webster's New World
To bamboozle; deceive.
American Heritage
The definition of hornswoggle is slang and means to trick or deceive.
An example of hornswoggle is marketing a chili that is produced in New York by pretending it is Texas chili.
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Origin of Hornswoggle

  • 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.

    From Wiktionary

  • Origin unknown

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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