'Hogwash' - an interesting phrase ...

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

For context, Coffee Shop member Industry Insider has used the phrase, and he and I have exchanged messages about it.  Sometimes, people give their view, apparently authoritatively, but without any foundation in fact.

I experienced an example of that this very evening, when my own daughter bemoaned that it was a pity Bristol couldn't have a tram system like Manchester (of which she has become a great fan) 'because of all the hills in Bristol'.

I coughed and spluttered over the jigsaw puzzle I was working on and engaged her in a lively debate, explaining how Bristol used to have an excellent tram system - including Park Street - which was only stopped when the Luftwaffe took out the electricity generating station on Counterslip in 1941.

She acknowledged that I was right.  So much for 'hogwash'.

CfN^▸ (Chris from Nailsea, an administrator on this forum). 

[Bob_Blakey]

FYI^▸ (for your information)

Hogwash means nonsense, foolish talk, or ridiculous ideas.
Its origin traces back to the mid-15th century as a literal compound of "hog" and "wash". It originally referred to the slops, kitchen scraps, and refuse given to pigs.
Over time, the term evolved significantly:
1600s: The term was extended to mean cheap, poor-quality liquor (because it was barely better than pig slop).
Late 1700s: It was used to describe bad writing or manuscripts.
1800s: It gained its modern figurative meaning of ridiculous or worthless talk, famously appearing in the writings of Mark Twain.

(I assume the above has at least a semblance of accuracy about it).

[CyclingSid]

It originally referred to the slops, kitchen scraps, and refuse given to pigs.

Which we are not allowed to do now. Especially with swine flu on the continent.