hocus-pocus

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

hocus-pocus
    n 1: verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you
         in some way [syn: {trickery}, {hocus-pocus}, {slickness},
         {hanky panky}, {jiggery-pokery}, {skulduggery},
         {skullduggery}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Hocus-pocus \Ho"cus-po"cus\, n. [Prob. invented by jugglers in
   imitation of Latin. Cf. {Hoax}, {Hocus}.]
   1. A term used by magicians or conjurers in pretended
      incantations.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A juggler or trickster. [Archaic] --Sir T. Herbert.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A magician's trick; a cheat; nonsense. --Hudibras.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Obfuscating talk or elaborate but meaningless activity
      intended to hide a deception or to obscure what is
      actually happening; verbal misrepresentation intended to
      take advantage of you in some way.

   Syn: trickery, slickness, hanky panky, jiggery-pokery,
        skulduggery, skullduggery.
        [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Hocus-pocus \Ho"cus-po"cus\, v. t.
   To cheat. [Colloq.] --L'Estrange.
   [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

28 Moby Thesaurus words for "hocus-pocus":
      abracadabra, artifice, cheat, chicanery, con game, conjuring,
      deceit, deception, duplicity, flimflam, gibberish, hanky-panky,
      hoax, humbug, incantation, jiggery-pokery, jugglery, legerdemain,
      magic, mischief, mumbo-jumbo, nonsense, prestidigitation,
      rigmarole, sleight of hand, swindle, trick, trickery