mumbo-jumbo
Confusing meaningless language
Mumbo-jumbo is language or ritual that seems meaningless or deliberately obscure—nonsense dressed up to sound important.
It often implies that complexity is being used to confuse or intimidate: The contract was full of legal mumbo-jumbo.
The term can dismiss unfamiliar beliefs or practices as superstitious gibberish: He called the ceremony primitive mumbo-jumbo.
Unintelligible speech or writing
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- rubbishWaste or nonsense
- drivelSenseless, silly talk
poppycock · baloney · claptrap · twaddle · codswallop · bunk · malarkey · piffle
Pretentious unintelligible language
- technobabbleFake scientific-sounding nonsense
- legaleseAttorneys' technical jargon
- bureaucrateseWordy governmental language
- doublespeakDeliberately misleading language
gibberish · buzzwords · officialese · corporatespeak · obfuscation · acronyms · fine print · boilerplate
Ceremonial set of actions
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- hocus-pocusDeceptive talk or tricks
- spellArrange letters correctly
- charmAttractive personal quality
curse · voodoo · witchcraft · sorcery · magic · talisman · amulet · hex
gibberish
Unintelligible speech or writing
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- rubbishWaste or nonsense
drivel · poppycock · baloney · claptrap · twaddle · codswallop · bunk · malarkey · piffle · tommyrot
gobbledygook
Pretentious unintelligible language
- technobabbleFake scientific-sounding nonsense
- legaleseAttorneys' technical jargon
- bureaucrateseWordy governmental language
doublespeak · gibberish · buzzwords · officialese · corporatespeak · obfuscation · acronyms · fine print · boilerplate · disclaimer
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- hocus-pocusDeceptive talk or tricks
- spellArrange letters correctly
charm · curse · voodoo · witchcraft · sorcery · magic · talisman · amulet · hex · conjuring
- magic wordsabracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto, open sesame
- Reduplicativesbye-bye, mama, papa, haha, yo-yo
- Whimsy Wordsgobbledygook, gibberish, hogwash, balderdash, piffle
- excessive talkingchatter, chattering, babbling, blather, prattle
- superstitionssuperstition, superstitions, hexes, black cats, broken mirror
mumbo-jumboplain English
Unadorned, accessible wording
plain language · clarity · straight talk · lucidity · clear communication
mumbo-jumboplain language
Easily understood communication
simplicity · layman's terms · accessible language · everyday speech · vernacular