holus-bolus

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“
The Ulster Volunteers, on the other hand, were allowed to retain their own officers and their own tests of admission, and were taken over, holus-bolus, as they stood; were trained in camps of their own, had their own banners, were kept compactly together and were recognised in every way as a distinct unit of Army organisation.

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Definitions (2)

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  1. All at a gulp; altogether; all at once: as, he swallowed it holus-bolus. [Colloq., Eng.] She appeared to lose all command over herself, and making a sudden snatch at the heap of silver, put it back holus-bolus in her pocket. W. Collins, Moonstone, i. 15.
  2. The whole; all, taken collectively: as, he drove out the holus-bolus of them. [Colloq., Eng.]

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Examples (16)

  • It will not be a grab bag of proposals taken holus-bolus from a report written by an Englishman for European conditions and designed to promote the political objectives of the British Government. —  newmatilda.com - Comments
  • '' But I also think he's got this Achilles heel, which is he's too credulous and believes in things other people can see a mile off aren't that smart and goes holus-bolus into them. —  The Sydney Morning Herald News Headlines
  • You could buy out one of their clubs, holus-bolus, if you wanted to. " —  Dennison Grant: a Novel of To-day
  • I'll take it on my shoulders, holus-bolus, blame and shame, my boy; but stay here, I cannot let you. —  Treasure Island
  • There was a first-class carr'ge door opin right forninst me, an 'into that the gyard crams me holus-bolus. —  Martin Hewitt, Investigator
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. A varied redupl. of whole, in sham-Latin form, like hocus-pocus; prob. formed without ref. to bolus, a large pill, as usually explained.
  2. See holus-bolus, adv.
 

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