hocus-pocus
Conjurer's meaningless incantation
Hocus-pocus is meaningless words used by magicians or conjurers, and by extension, any trickery or deception meant to distract or mystify: It's all hocus-pocus designed to confuse voters.
The term suggests something fraudulent dressed up to seem impressive or magical.
As a verb, to hocus-pocus is to deceive or trick.
Spell-casting utterance
- prestoVery fast tempo
- spellArrange letters correctly
- charmAttractive personal quality
- hexMalevolent incantation
curse · invocation · mumbo jumbo · magic words · open sesame · alakazam · chant · formula
Dexterous trickery
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
- quackeryFraudulent medical practice
- shamFraudulent imitation
- fakeryDeliberate deception or pretense
chicanery · flimflam · mountebank · prestidigitation · misdirection · smoke and mirrors · bamboozle · dupery
Practice of supernatural magic
- sorceryPractice of dark magic
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- wizardryPractice of casting spells
- potionEnchanted liquid mixture
cauldron · amulet · talisman · broomstick · spellbook · familiar · coven · warlock
Performance of illusions
- conjurerPerformer of magic tricks
- magicianPerformer of illusions
- illusionistPerformer of visual deception
- wandThin ceremonial stick
top hat · rabbit · cape · assistant · sawing in half · card trick · escape act · stage magic
Atmospheric optical deception
- phantasmIllusory supernatural appearance
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- hallucinationPerception without external cause
- specterGhostly threatening presence
figment · chimera · fantasy · delusion · phantom · dreamscape · unreality · vision
Spirit communication ritual
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- necromancyCommunicating with the deceased
- spiritualismCommunion with the deceased
- clairvoyanceExtrasensory perception ability
mediumship · tarot · crystal ball · fortune-telling · palm reading · astrology · omen · soothsayer
abracadabra
Spell-casting utterance
hex · curse · invocation · mumbo jumbo · magic words · open sesame · alakazam · chant · formula · gibberish
sleight
Dexterous trickery
fakery · chicanery · flimflam · mountebank · prestidigitation · misdirection · smoke and mirrors · bamboozle · dupery · imposture
witchcraft
Practice of supernatural magic
- sorceryPractice of dark magic
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- wizardryPractice of casting spells
potion · cauldron · amulet · talisman · broomstick · spellbook · familiar · coven · warlock · witch doctor
magic show
Performance of illusions
- conjurerPerformer of magic tricks
- magicianPerformer of illusions
- illusionistPerformer of visual deception
wand · top hat · rabbit · cape · assistant · sawing in half · card trick · escape act · stage magic · Houdini
mirage
Atmospheric optical deception
- phantasmIllusory supernatural appearance
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- hallucinationPerception without external cause
specter · figment · chimera · fantasy · delusion · phantom · dreamscape · unreality · vision · glamour
séance
Spirit communication ritual
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- necromancyCommunicating with the deceased
- spiritualismCommunion with the deceased
clairvoyance · mediumship · tarot · crystal ball · fortune-telling · palm reading · astrology · omen · soothsayer · oracle
- magicwizard, wand, sorcerer, witchcraft, mage
- magic wordsabracadabra, alakazam, presto, open sesame, shazam
- Reduplicativesbye-bye, mama, papa, haha, yo-yo
- Whimsy Wordsgobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo jumbo, hogwash, balderdash
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- deceptionslie, lies, lying, deceit, decoy
hocus-pocustruth
Accordance with reality
reality · fact · genuineness · authenticity · honesty
hocus-pocusstraight talk
Honest, direct communication
frankness · clarity · candor · directness · honesty