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hocus-pocus
ho·cus-po·cus / ˈpōkəs/ • n. meaningless talk or activity, often designed to draw attention away from and disguise what is actually happening: some people still view psychology as a lot of hocus-pocus. ∎ a form of words often used by a person performing magic tricks. ∎ deception; trickery. • v. (-po·cused, -po·cus·ing or Brit. -po·cussed, -po·cus·sing) [intr.] play tricks. ∎ [tr.] play tricks on, deceive. ORIGIN: early 17th cent.: from hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magic formula by conjurors. |
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"hocus-pocus." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hocus-pocus." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hocuspocus.html "hocus-pocus." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hocuspocus.html |
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Hocus Pocus
Hocus PocusWords of pseudomagical import. According to Sharon Turner in The History of the Anglo-Saxons (4 vols., 1799-1805), they were believed to be derived from "Ochus Bochus," a magician and demon of the north. It is more probable, however, that they are a corruption of the Latin hoc est corpus (this is my body), words spoken during the act of transubstantiation in the Roman Catholic Mass. The term has been used since the seventeenth century as a preface to the tricks of conjuring magicians. Conjurers used to introduce tricks with the sham Latin formula, "Hocus pocus, tontus talontus, rade celeriter jubeo." |
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"Hocus Pocus." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Hocus Pocus." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403802189.html "Hocus Pocus." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403802189.html |
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hocus pocus
hocus pocus †conjurer, juggler; conjuring formula; jugglery, trickery. XVII (hocas pocas, hokos pokos). Based ult. on hax pax max Deus adimax (XVI), pseudo-L. magical formula coined by vagrant students.
Hence as vb. juggle, hoax. XVII. Also, by shortening, hocus †sb. juggler; jugglery. XVII; vb. play a trick upon XVII; drug XIX. cf. HOAX. |
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T. F. HOAD. "hocus pocus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hocus pocus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hocuspocus.html T. F. HOAD. "hocus pocus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hocuspocus.html |
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hocus-pocus
hocus-pocus deception, trickery (words often used by a person performing conjuring tricks). The expression comes (in the early 17th century) from hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magic formula by conjurors.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hocus-pocus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hocus-pocus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hocuspocus.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "hocus-pocus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-hocuspocus.html |
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hocus-pocus
hocus-pocus
•Bacchus, Caracas, Gracchus
•Damascus
•Aristarchus, carcass, Hipparchus, Marcus
•discus, hibiscus, meniscus, viscous
•umbilicus • Copernicus
•Ecclesiasticus • Leviticus • floccus
•caucus, Dorcas, glaucous, raucous
•Archilochus, Cocos, crocus, focus, hocus, hocus-pocus, locus
•autofocus
•fucus, Lucas, mucous, mucus, Ophiuchus, soukous
•ruckus • fuscous • abacus
•diplodocus • Telemachus
•Callimachus • Caratacus • Spartacus
•circus
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"hocus-pocus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hocus-pocus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hocuspocus.html "hocus-pocus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hocuspocus.html |
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