| 'Hogwash' - an interesting phrase ... Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:09, 13th July 2026 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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.

| Re: 'Hogwash' - an interesting phrase ... Posted by Bob_Blakey at 07:34, 14th July 2026 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
FYI
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).














