Balderdash for the Medieval Gay #37
July 27, 2008
(a compendium of queer words for the modern fag with a passion for the Middle Ages added hebdomadally on the Sabbath day)
37.) Hoodwink
-transitive verb
a.) To trick or deceive.
b.) To blindfold.*
c.) To conceal.
[Origin: Perhaps from a combination of the Old English hed or hod meaning “hood,” and Middle English winken, from Old English wincian, “to close one’s eyes.”]
*To be hoodwinked was to have one’s eyes closed or covered by one’s hood. The term was also used to describe the practice of hooding hawks and falcons when they were carried for hunting. Faeries, notorious tricksters, are famous for their many pranks that undoubtedly include such tactics as hoodwinking (a perfect blend of sensory deprivation and leading one astray).
