RC Question

[Birchy]

Is there any truth in the origins of the 'Hokey Cokey' being a parody of the Roman Catholic Mass? And are there any other examples of these religious mickey-takes?

[Quizmonster]

Hokey cokey, hokey pokey and similar phrases were commonly believed to be corruptions of the Latin phrase 'Hoc est corpus' = 'This is the body', as used in the Catholic mass. However, there is no truth in that. It was, in fact, the name of a conjuror in the days of King James and based on the nonsense-Latin words he used to confuse his audiences.

[Gef]

And Hokey Pokey has other meanings as well!

[JohnPPotts]

Though the (now rarely used) magic words "Hocus Pocus" is derived from the same Latin Phrase (Hoc est corpus meus = this is my body), or so I believe.

[Quizmonster]

I'm afraid it isn't, John. Actually 'Hocus Pocus' was the very stage-name of the conjuror I referred to in my earlier answer! He took it from "Hocus pocus, tontus talontus, vade celeriter, jiubeo", which was the dodgy Latin spell he used to confuse his audiences. The Oxford English Dictionary - the 'bible' of etymology - rejects the supposed connection with 'Hoc est corpus'. Cheers

[JohnPPotts]

I bow to your superior trivia knowledge!