hocus-pocus
noun /ˌhəʊkəs ˈpəʊkəs/
/ˌhəʊkəs ˈpəʊkəs/
[uncountable]- language or behaviour that makes no sense and is intended to hide the truth from peopleMore Like This Reduplicative wordsReduplicative words
- airy-fairy
- argy-bargy
- chit-chat
- criss-cross
- dilly-dally
- harum-scarum
- helter-skelter
- higgledy-piggledy
- hocus-pocus
- hoity-toity
- hotchpotch
- hurly-burly
- itty-bitty
- mumbo jumbo
- mishmash
- nitty-gritty
- ping-pong
- pitter-patter
- shilly-shally
- teeny-weeny
- tittle-tattle
- touchy-feely
- wishy-washy
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magic formula by conjurors.