hocus-pocus
noun
[ həʊkəsˈpəʊkəs ]
• meaningless talk or activity, typically designed to trick someone or conceal the truth of a situation.
• "some people still view psychology as a lot of hocus-pocus"
Similar:
jargon,
unintelligible language,
obscure language,
mumbo jumbo,
argle-bargle,
gibberish,
balderdash,
claptrap,
nonsense,
twaddle,
rubbish,
gobbledygook,
double Dutch,
hokum,
bull,
garbage,
tripe,
rot,
flapdoodle,
bunkum,
Origin:
early 17th century: from hax pax max Deus adimax, a pseudo-Latin phrase used as a magic formula by conjurors.
