Hocus-pocus

 ( 17th-century Neologisms ) 

Hocus-pocus is a reference to the actions of magicians, often as the stereotypical spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It was once a common term for a magician, Juggling, or other similar entertainers. In extended usage, the term is often used (pejoratively) to describe irrational human activities that appear to depend on magic. Examples are given below.

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History The earliest known English language work on magic, or what was then known as legerdemain (sleight of hand), was published anonymously in 1635 under the title Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain. Further research suggests that "Hocus Pocus" was the stage name of a well known magician of the era. This may be William Vincent, who is recorded as having been granted a license to perform magic in England in 1619. Whether he was the author of the book is unknown.

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Conjectured origins The origins of the term remain obscure. The most popular conjecture is that it is a garbled Latin religious phrase or some form of dog Latin. Some have associated it with similar-sounding fictional, mythical, or legendary names. Others suggest it is merely a combination of .

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Latin and pseudo-Latin origins One theory is that the term is a corruption of hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo-Latin phrase used in the early 17th century as a magic word by Evocation. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 2nd ed, 2005, s.v.

Another theory is that it is a corruption or parody of the Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist, which contains the phrase " Hoc est enim corpus meum", meaning This is my body. Online Etymology Dictionary [2] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hocus-pocus This explanation goes at least as far back as a 1694 speculation by the Anglican prelate John Tillotson:

This theory is supported by the fact that in the Netherlands, the words Hocus pocus are usually accompanied by the additional words pilatus pas, and this is said to be based on a post-Reformation parody of the traditional Catholic rite of transubstantiation during Mass, being a Dutch corruption of the Latin words " Hoc est corpus meum" and the credo, which reads in part, " sub Pontius Pilate passus et sepultus est", meaning under Pontius Pilate he suffered and was buried.In de Kou, Godfried Bomans en Michel van der Plas over hun roomse jeugd en hoe het hun verging, Amsterdam, 1969 In a similar way the phrase is in Scandinavia usually accompanied by filiokus, a corruption of the term filioque, from the Latin Church version of the Nicene Creed, meaning “ and from the Son”. The variant spelling filipokus is common in Russia, a predominantly Eastern Orthodox nation, as well as certain other post-Soviet Union states. Additionally, the word for "stage trick" in Russian language, fokus, is derived from hocus pocus. Etymological dictionary of the Russian language

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Magician's name Others believe that it is an appeal to the folkloric Norse mythology magician Ochus Bochus: According to Sharon Turner in The History of the Anglo-Saxons, they were believed to be derived from Ochus Bochus, a magician and demon of the north.

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Nonsense word As an alternative to other theories, it may simply be pseudo-Latin with no meaning, made up to impress people:

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See also

• Abracadabra
• Barbarous name

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External resources

• Hocus Pocus or The Whole art of Legerdemain. From the Marion S. Carson Collection in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the Library of Congress
• Hocus Pocus Junior: the Anatomie of Legerdemain From the Harry Houdini Collection in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the Library of Congress