A sound without a certain originSourced
Not region-specific · English meaning
Hornswoggle means to trick, though its origin is uncertain
English hornswoggle is a slang verb for deceiving or tricking someone. As a noun it can mean nonsense. Wiktionary labels its origin unknown, with proposed links to horns and movement presented as conjecture.
Knowing a word’s meaning does not settle its history.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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hornswoggle · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10