Humbug

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For other uses, see Humbug (disambiguation).

Humbug is an archaic term meaning "hoax", or "jest". While the term was first attested in 1751 in student slang, its etymology is unknown. Its present meaning as an exclamation is closer to "nonsense", or "gibberish", while as a noun, a humbug refers to a fraud, impostor or a person who is habitually mean. The latter interpretation is derived from the word's association with Ebenezer Scrooge, a character created by Charles Dickens. In several East-Indian dialects, the word is borrowed from English, and used to mean "to deceive" or "to cheat". In Australian Aboriginal English, humbug means to pester or annoy.

A mint humbug is also a type of boiled mint, striped with alternate dark brown and beige stripes. They have a strong, sugary taste and are often sold wrapped individually in plastic film.

[edit] Popular culture

• The exclamationatory "Bah, humbug!" has become associated with Ebenezer Scrooge in the story book, A Christmas Carol and a dismissive attitude towards Christmas, characterizing the holiday itself as a fraud. This has years later been spoofed by Mr Burns saying "Baw, humbug!" in the Simpsons episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious"

• In The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow denounces the Wizard as a humbug, which the Wizard concedes is true.

• In Stephen King's Dark Tower series, many of the villains turn about to humbugs (or bumhugs as the series says); characters who appear menacing but are vanquished with little to no fanfare.

• Both meanings of the term were used for comic effect in Blackadder's Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Blackadder's first line is "Humbug, humbug!", which is heard by Mr Baldrick in the streets, making it seem as if he is in a foul mood. However, he enters his shop with a bag of sweets, saying kindly "Humbug, Mr Baldrick?".

• In Norton Juster's book The Phantom Tollbooth, the Humbug is anthropomorphized as an insectlike character who makes grandiose claims about himself and his ancestry. ("As my great-great grandfather, George Washington Humbug used to say--")

• In Charles Dickens's Great Expectations about old ladies and the gentleman at Mrs Havisham's young Pip said "... the snowplow conveyed to me that they were all toadies and humbugs".

• Graham Cluley's computer game Humbug contains a mint humbug.

• The Little Humbugs - part human part bug these little people from the forest are sent by Mother Nature to teach the human world that they need to start looking after the the environment. The creations are from Marghanita Hughes childrens author Illustrator.[1].

• The phrase "bah, humbug!" Was often used by Dickens' grandfather.

[edit] References

• Black, Max. "The Prevalence of Humbug" from The Prevalence of Humbug and Other Essays. Cornell University Press. 1983.
• Harry Frankfurt, Princeton University "On Bullshit", 1986, essay

[edit] See also

• P. T. Barnum (described as the "Prince of Humbugs").
• Humbug, a one-time villain/hero in the Marvel Comics.