humbug
Striped mint sweet
Humbug is deceptive or dishonest talk, behavior, or practices—especially pretentious nonsense meant to impress or mislead: The whole ceremony was pure humbug.
A humbug is also a person who deceives through false claims or pretenses.
As an exclamation, it dismisses something as fraudulent or absurd—famously Scrooge's Bah, humbug! in response to Christmas cheer.
In British usage, a humbug is also a hard striped peppermint candy.
Intentional criminal trickery
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- shamFraudulent imitation
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
deceit · trickery · fakery · imposture · quackery · chicanery · dupery · subterfuge
Faker claiming false expertise
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- tricksterCunning deceiver in myth
swindler · conman · huckster · grifter · faker · quack · mountebank · pretender
Contemptuous interjection
- nonsenseMeaningless words or actions
- rubbishWaste or nonsense
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
hogwash · piffle · fiddlesticks · baloney · phooey · bunk · twaddle · rot
Miserly, stingy person
- bahContemptuous interjection
- ghostsSpirits of the deceased
- dickensMild oath substitute
- miserStingy wealth hoarder
victorian · grumpy · curmudgeon · cantankerous · grouch · killjoy · spoilsport
Aromatic mint hybrid
- stripedHaving contrasting bands
- boiledHeated until bubbling
- sweetTasting of sugar
- confectionElaborate sweet preparation
mint · old-fashioned · black-and-white · traditional · seaside · wrapper · tin
fraud
Intentional criminal trickery
charlatan · deceit · trickery · fakery · imposture · quackery · chicanery · dupery · subterfuge · counterfeit
charlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
trickster · swindler · conman · huckster · grifter · faker · quack · mountebank · pretender · bluffer
bah
Contemptuous interjection
balderdash · hogwash · piffle · fiddlesticks · baloney · phooey · bunk · twaddle · rot · stuff
scrooge
Miserly, stingy person
miser · victorian · grumpy · curmudgeon · cantankerous · grouch · killjoy · spoilsport
peppermint
Aromatic mint hybrid
confection · mint · old-fashioned · black-and-white · traditional · seaside · wrapper · tin
- circuscircus, big top, clown, clowns, ringmaster
- American slangbamboozle, bogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
- insincerityinsincerity, phoniness, fakeness, falseness, pretense
- interjectionsah, hey, aha, sheesh, oh
- nonsensenonsense, absurd, gibberish, gobbledegook, gobbledygook
humbugtruth
Accordance with reality
honesty · sincerity · authenticity · truthfulness · candor
humbugsense
Perception or judgment
wisdom · reason · truth · rationality · reasonableness
humbuggenuine article
Authentic original item
master · expert · authority · straight shooter · truth-teller
- bah humbugContemptuous holiday dismissal