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
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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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