hogwash

American  

[hawg-wosh, -wawsh, hog-] / ˈhɔgˌwɒʃ, -ˌwɔʃ, ˈhɒg- /

noun

1. refuse given to hogs; swill.

2. any worthless stuff.

3. meaningless or insincere talk, writing, etc.; nonsense; bunk.

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hogwash British  

/ ˈhɒɡˌwɒʃ /

noun

1. informal nonsense

2. pigswill

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Etymology

Origin of hogwash

1400–50; 1900–05 hogwash for def. 2; late Middle English. See hog, wash

Explanation

Hogwash is complete nonsense, lies, or ridiculous actions. If an advertisement claims that taking one vitamin pill a day will make you ten times stronger, that's hogwash. The informal hogwash is perfect for talking about falsehoods and foolishness. Your little brother may insist that his lemonade stand will make him a millionaire this summer, but you know that's hogwash. And many politicians give long speeches that seem, in retrospect, to be nothing but hogwash. The word has seen a dramatic evolution, from the fifteenth century "slops fed to pigs," to "cheap liquor" in the 1700s, to "inferior writing" towards the end of the eighteenth century.

Example Sentences

By just being aware of how we perceive information, we can protect ourselves from disinformation and hogwash.

From Scientific American • Sep. 29, 2022

Under the circumstances, the response to these claims writes itself: They’re hogwash.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2022

The public’s opinion, other foundations’ opinions, “experts’ ” and snoopy other wealthy people’s opinions are hogwash.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2021

Rather than shaking the authorities into an investigation it made the author a pariah and he was accused of writing hogwash for personal gain and out of bitterness, because his prediction hadn't come true.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2021

It was hogwash, he said, that this case had anything to do with preserving local control of school districts.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger