| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Hum’bug. | | |
A correspondent in Notes and Queries (March 5th, 1892) suggests as the fons et or go of this word the Italian Uomo bugiardo, a lying man. | 1 |
 To hum used to signify “to applaud,” “to pretend admiration,” hence “to flatter,” “to cajole for an end,” “to deceive.” | 2 |
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| “He threatened, but behold! ‘twas all a hum.” | |
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“‘Gentlemen, this humming [expression of applause] is not at all becoming the gravity of this court.”—State Trials (1660). |
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