What is a Hoax Definition and Meaning

Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams

Since this appears to be a traditional story that occurs in several variants localized to different holidays, times, and places, it might be good to look at the calendar-change story as a “migratory legend.” It’s also an example of “metafolklore,” or folklore about folklore, in this case a folk story about the origins of a folk holiday. (As I discussed in another previous blog post, the story being “metafolklore” does not necessarily mean it is untrue, but it often means not all variants can be true simultaneously!)

An unsuspecting civilian is plunged into a rapidly unravelling corporate getaway in the second season of the hit show

There are numerous chain letters, hoaxes, and other false information floating around the internet. These are not necessarily attempts to swindle you out of money, but they do waste everyone's time. Before passing along some anonymous rumor or dire warning to a mailing list or to your friends, please take steps to confirm its authenticity.

A hoax (pl.: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. Some hoaxers intend to eventually unmask their ...

The Microsoft acquisition hoax, a 1994 hoax claiming that Microsoft had acquired the Roman Catholic Church. The hoax is considered to be the first hoax to reach a mass audience on the Internet. Despite debunking by Microsoft, similar stories about Microsoft and other companies implementing ...

You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. Reportedly a form of hocus. Possibly from hocus-pocus or Latin iocus (“joke”). Compare hokey. ... hoax (third-person singular simple present hoaxes, present participle hoaxing, simple past and past participle hoaxed)

So, how about the etymology of ... the late 18th century as a contraction of the verb “hocus”, which means “to cheat”, “to impose upon”, or “to befuddle often with drugged liquor”. “Hocus” is, itself, a ...

A section on archaeological forgeries delves into the history of the Mound Builder Myth. For thousands of years, American Indians created impressive mound structures throughout the Americas. During the 19th century, many archeologists held racist views and considered it impossible that the ancestors of modern American Indians constructed these works. They proposed instead that pre-Columbian settlers from Europe or the Middle East were responsible for the mounds and associated artifacts. Numerous hoaxers forged artifacts ranging from inscribed stones and tablets to weapons and crowns in order to provide "evidence" for the Mound Builder Myth.