Etymology Journal ยท W
What a load of hooey
Meaning
- Similar to hogwash, this means nonsense or a deceptive story. It is often used to gently poke fun at someone telling a tall tale.
Playful, unimpressed
Used in a sentence
- He says the fish was ten feet long, but that is a load of hooey.
- Ignore his advice, it is a load of hooey.
- I cannot believe you fell for such a load of hooey.
The backstory
Hooey originated in the early 20th century American West. It likely derives from the term hooe, a cry used in driving cattle, eventually evolving into a word for empty talk.
Heard in
Nationwide
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