The original collater of these notes purchased the collection of essays known as the Connoisseur at the sale of Thackeray’s library. At the end of vol. i. he found a memorandum in the great humourist’s handwriting—“p. 108, ‘HUMBUG,’ a new-coined expression.” On referring to that page (in the 3rd edition, 1757) this paragraph was noted:—
“The same conduct of keeping close to their ranks was observed at table, where the ladies seated themselves together. Their conversation was here also confined wholly to themselves, and seemed like the mysteries of the Bona Dea, in which men were forbidden to have any share. It was a continued laugh and whisper from the beginning to the end of dinner. A whole sentence was scarce ever spoken aloud. Single words, indeed, now and then broke forth; such as, odious, horrible, detestable, shocking, HUMBUG. This last new-coined expression, which is only to be found in the nonsensical vocabulary, sounds absurd and disagreeable whenever it is pronounced; but from the mouth of a lady it is ‘shocking,’ ‘detestable,’ ‘horrible,’ and ‘odious.’”
The use of this term is almost universal; in California there is a town called Humbug Flat—a name which gives a significant hint of the acuteness of the first settler.
Humdrum, monotonous, tedious, tiresome, boring; “a society of gentlemen who used to meet near the Charter House, and at the King’s Head, St. John’s Street, Clerkenwell. They were characterized by less mystery and more pleasantry than the Freemasons.”—Bacchus and Venus, 1737. In the West the term applies to a low cart.
Humming, strong as applied to drink. Extra strong ale is often characterized as “HUMMING October.” Maybe from its effect on heads not quite so strong.
Hump, low spirits. A costermonger who was annoyed or distressed about anything would describe himself as having “the HUMP.”
Hump, to botch, or spoil.
Hump up, “to have one’s HUMP UP,” to be cross or ill-tempered—like a cat with its back set up. See [BACK] and [MONKEY].
Humpty-dumpty, short and thick; all of a heap; all together, like an egg.
“Humpty-dumpty sat on a wall.”