There's a lot to love about fall and Halloween. But not all of us enjoy the extra creepy, super scary Halloween movies that dominate October viewing. Sure, we want to partake in the slightly frightening festivities; we just don't want to end up terrified to walk around our neighborhood or our own houses. Come Halloween, a good chunk of us spirited citizens just want to watch a not-so-scary movie while sipping and nibbling on fall-themed snacks and treats.
The word "hoax" sprang like a rabbit out of a hat from the magician's incantation hocus pocus, according to Dave Wilton, the editor of Wordorigins.org. "We know pretty much certainly that the term Hocus Pocus was the stage name of a magician by the name of William Vincent, who was operating around the 1620s." Where Vincent got the phrase, however, is less certain.