Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
facile hokum
English answer:
unexamined nonsense posing as scientific explanation
Added to glossary by
humbird
Feb 15, 2004 21:30
20 yrs ago
English term
facile hokum
English
Art/Literary
Archaeology
Vanished culture in American Southwest -- archaeology
Hi fellow language professionals. This question is for my own edification and not for translation per se. I quote -- THE ABANDONMENT, IN PARTICULAR, HAS LENT ITSELF TO FACILE HOKUM ABOUT "VANISHED" AND "MYSTERIOUS" TRIBES.
Please remember this -- the source is not a legal document, but I have a hunch (strong one) that this word is Latin. The author is being fascinated by the vanished people. I know also that the author's style is very fanficul about his choice of languages (as many writers would be tempted to). As I am so ignorant about Latin, and my research was in vain, I need to resort to your help. Many thanks for your time in advance.
Please remember this -- the source is not a legal document, but I have a hunch (strong one) that this word is Latin. The author is being fascinated by the vanished people. I know also that the author's style is very fanficul about his choice of languages (as many writers would be tempted to). As I am so ignorant about Latin, and my research was in vain, I need to resort to your help. Many thanks for your time in advance.
Responses
+6
5 mins
Selected
unexamined nonsense posing as scientific explanation
Facile is an adjective meaning "arrived at without due care, effort, or examination; superficial" (American Heritage Dictionary)
Hokum means "something apparently impressive or legitimate but actually untrue or insincere; nonsense" (same source).
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Note added at 2004-02-15 21:42:35 (GMT)
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These are not Latin words. \"Facile\" came into English by way of Old French, ultimately going back to the Latin word \"facilis\" (American Heritage Dictionary).
The same source theorizes that \"hokum\" may have been made up by combining \"hocus-pocus\" with \"bunkum.\" The latter means \"empty or insincere talk,\" from \"Buncombe,\" a county of western North Carolina, from a remark made around 1820 by its congressman, who felt obligated to give a dull speech “for Buncombe”.
Hokum means "something apparently impressive or legitimate but actually untrue or insincere; nonsense" (same source).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-02-15 21:42:35 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
These are not Latin words. \"Facile\" came into English by way of Old French, ultimately going back to the Latin word \"facilis\" (American Heritage Dictionary).
The same source theorizes that \"hokum\" may have been made up by combining \"hocus-pocus\" with \"bunkum.\" The latter means \"empty or insincere talk,\" from \"Buncombe,\" a county of western North Carolina, from a remark made around 1820 by its congressman, who felt obligated to give a dull speech “for Buncombe”.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
RHELLER
: good research :-)
10 mins
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Thanks, Rita. It is hard to avoid when all the information is in one handy source.
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| agree |
Paul Weideman
12 mins
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| agree |
Armorel Young
22 mins
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| agree |
pike
35 mins
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| agree |
DGK T-I
59 mins
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| agree |
Jonathan MacKerron
: bunkum (yet another great word!)
1 hr
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you, your answer is especially helpful and I appreciate your insight."
+2
1 min
Marian Greenfield
Native in English
&
English
Over 30 years in financial translation
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, English
easy mystery nonsense
facile is basically easy or off-hand
hokum is magic, mysterious, contrived nonsense
hokum is magic, mysterious, contrived nonsense
9 mins
Lars Helbig
Germany
Germany
Germany
fast & flexible - accurate & aesthetic
Native in: German 
Works in: English to German, German to English, German
a badly done hoax / superficial myth
Not latin both words are english. From the American hertage dictionary:
facile:
...
4.Readily manifested, together with an aura of insincerity and lack of depth: a facile slogan devised by politicians.
...
hokum:
1.Something apparently impressive or legitimate but actually untrue or insincere; nonsense.
...
facile:
...
4.Readily manifested, together with an aura of insincerity and lack of depth: a facile slogan devised by politicians.
...
hokum:
1.Something apparently impressive or legitimate but actually untrue or insincere; nonsense.
...
7 hrs
chica nueva
Native in English
&
English
http://youtube/iraVWQu3Zf8
Native in: English (Variants: British, New Zealand)
Works in: Chinese to English
facile - definition and examples; hokum = nonsense; humbug
facile = describes a remark or theory which is too simple and has not been thought about enough eg a facile explanation We must avoid facile recriminations about who was to blame.
hokum (altered hocus-pocus)(slang) = nonsense, humbug
hokum (altered hocus-pocus)(slang) = nonsense, humbug
Discussion