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Hocus Pocus


The phrase 'Hocus Pocus' refers to trickery of some kind, whether that trickery is meant in fun or used as a form of deception. The term is also used to describe mystifying jargon.

Example of Use: “The salesman used a lot of hocus pocus to convince Jim to buy that car.”


Interesting fact about Hocus Pocus

During the early 1600s, Hocus Pocus was a name commonly adopted by a juggler or magician. The name, and the words 'hocus pocus,' which were often chanted during tricks involving sleight of hand, is believed to be a perversion of the Latin blessing from the Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum, or “This is my body.”