different between hokum vs bunkum

English

Etymology

Origin uncertain; first attested as US theater slang, possibly a blend of hocus-pocus +? bunkum.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?h??k?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ho?k?m/
• Hyphenation: ho?kum

Noun

hokum (usually uncountable, plural hokums)

1. (countable, uncountable, informal) (An instance of) meaningless nonsense with an outward appearance of being impressive and legitimate.

   Synonyms: bunkum; see also Thesaurus:nonsense
2. (countable, uncountable, informal) (An instance of) excessively contrived, hackneyed, or sentimental material in a film, television programme, theater production, etc.
3. (countable, informal) A film, television programme, theater production, etc., containing excessively contrived, hackneyed, or sentimental material.
4. (uncountable, music) A genre of blues song or music, often characterized by sexual innuendos or satire.

Alternative forms

• hocum

Derived terms

• hoke
• hokey

Translations

Further reading

• hokum (music) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

Anagrams

• Kuhmo, khoum

English

Alternative forms

• buncombe

Etymology

From buncombe, from “speaking to (or for) Buncombe County, North Carolina”, a county in North Carolina named for Edward Buncombe. In 1820, Felix Walker, who represented the county in the U.S. House of Representatives, rose to address the question of admitting Missouri as a free or slave state, his first attempt to speak on the subject after nearly a month of solid debate, right before the vote was to be called. To the exasperation of colleagues, he began a long and wearisome speech, explaining that he was speaking not to Congress but "to Buncombe." He was ultimately shouted down by his colleagues, though his speech was published in a Washington paper and his persistence made "buncombe" (later respelled "bunkum") a synonym for meaningless political claptrap and later for any kind of nonsense, at first only in the jargon of Washington and then in common usage (see discussion on talk page).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b??k?m/
• Homophone: buncombe
• Hyphenation: bunk?um

Noun

bunkum (countable and uncountable, plural bunkums)

1. (slang, countable) Senseless talk; nonsense; a piece of nonsense.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonsense

2. (politics) Bombastic political posturing or oratorical display designed only for show or public applause. [1820s]

Derived terms

• bunk
• debunk
• hokum

References