|
I looked up the etymology of the word "hokum" because I wanted to make sure I was using it correctly in an article I was working on. Fascinating! Turns out that hokum is a blend of the words "hocus-pocus" and "bunkum" -- the latter of which has its own great history:
From Buncombe, a county in North Carolina. On 25 Feb 1820, Felix Walker, a US Congress person (whose territory included Buncombe County, NC) gave a rambling speech on the Missouri question with little relevance to the current debate. Walker refused to yield the floor, informing his colleagues that his speech was not intended for Congress but that he was "speaking for Buncombe."
Wonderful stuff. I was so surprised to find that hokumandbunkum.com was available that I had to have it. I don't know what I might do with it, but was too good to pass up.
May. 5, '08
etymology
|
|
|
