Hobson’s choice, “this or none.” Hobson was a carrier at Cambridge, and also a letter-out of horses for hire; and is said to have always compelled his customers to take the horse that stood in the stall next the stable-door or none at all. He was a benefactor to the town, and Hobson’s Conduit still stands as a memorial of him.
Hock-dockies, shoes.
Hocks, the feet and ankles; CURBY HOCKS, round or clumsy feet and ankles. Term originating with horsey men.
Hocus, to drug a person for purposes of robbery. The potion generally consists of snuff and beer among rogues of the lowest class, and is by them called “snuffing a bloke;” or sometimes, when the drug is administered to a woman for purposes other than those of robbery, “snuffing a blowen.”
Hocus pocus, gipsy words of magic, similar to the modern “presto fly.” The gipsies pronounce “Habeas Corpus,” HAWCUS PACCUS (see Crabb’s Gipsies’ Advocate, p. 18); can this have anything to do with the origin of HOCUS POCUS? Turner gives OCHUS BOCHUS, an old demon. Pegge, however, states that it is a burlesque rendering of the words of the Roman Catholic Church service at the delivery of the host, HOC EST CORPUS, which the early Protestants considered as a species of conjuring, and ridiculed accordingly.
Hodge, a countryman or provincial clown. Most country districts in England have one or more families in the name of HODGE; indeed, GILES and HODGE appear to be the favourite hobnail nomenclature. Hodge is said to be simply an abbreviation of Roger.
Hog, a shilling.—Old Cant.
Hog, “to go the whole HOG;” “the whole HOG or none,” to do anything with a person’s entire strength, not “by halves;” realized by the phrase “in for a penny in for a pound.” Bartlett claims this to be a pure American phrase; whilst Ker, of course, gives it a Dutch origin.—Old. “To go the whole HOG” is frequently altered by those people who believe there is wit in circumlocution, into “the entire animal,” or “the complete swine!”
Hoga, do. “That wont HOGA,” i.e., that wont do, is one of the very commonest of the Anglo-Indian slang phrases.