hobgoblins
Small folkloric troublemakers
Hobgoblins is the plural of hobgoblin, a mischievous sprite or goblin from English folklore—smaller and less malevolent than full goblins, more inclined to pranks than harm.
Figuratively, a hobgoblin is a source of irrational fear or anxiety: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
The word suggests something that looms larger in imagination than reality.
Tiny supernatural beings
- browniesDense chocolate baked squares
- pucksVulcanized hockey projectiles
- impsMinor demons or rascals
- faeriesMythical tiny beings
tricksters · mischief-makers · household spirits · pixies · gremlins · changelings · bogeymen · knockers
Persistent sources of annoyance
- obsessionsPersistent dominating thoughts
- fixationsPersistent mental attachments
- preoccupationsDominant mental concerns
- worriesPersistent mental unease
fears · anxieties · hang-ups · boogeymen · nuisances · irritants · pet peeves · demons
Shakespearean mischief-making sprite
- ShakespeareElizabethan dramatist and poet
- MidsummerSummer's peak period
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
- SpenserTudor allegorical poet
Tolkien · folklore tales · fairy tales · mythology · bestiaries · chapbooks · nursery rhymes · allegory
sprites
Tiny supernatural beings
faeries · tricksters · mischief-makers · household spirits · pixies · gremlins · changelings · bogeymen · knockers · redcaps
bugbears
Persistent sources of annoyance
- obsessionsPersistent dominating thoughts
- fixationsPersistent mental attachments
- preoccupationsDominant mental concerns
worries · fears · anxieties · hang-ups · boogeymen · nuisances · irritants · pet peeves · demons · torments
Puck
Shakespearean mischief-making sprite
- ShakespeareElizabethan dramatist and poet
- MidsummerSummer's peak period
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
Tolkien · Spenser · folklore tales · fairy tales · mythology · bestiaries · chapbooks · nursery rhymes · allegory · fables
monsters
Frightening imaginary creatures
- creaturesAnimate beings, especially animals
- enemiesHostile opposing parties
- bestiaryMedieval animal treatise
encounter · hit points · minions · dungeon · combat · spawn · loot · RPG · miniatures · World of Warcraft
hobgoblinsguardian angels
Protective spirits assigned to individuals
fairy godmothers · angels · brownies · patron saints · sprites