Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Black magic; sorcery.
  • noun An evil spell; an incantation.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Witchcraft; incantation; charm.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun magic, witchcraft; a spell, especially one designed to cause or cure illnesses to man or beast, or to increase or decrease the quantities of farm products such as butter or milk.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Irish Gaelic píseog, from Middle Irish pisóc, piseóc.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Anglo-Irish, from Irish piseog ("witchcraft"), from Middle Irish piseóc, pisóc.

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Examples

  • I reached for it and rubbed it—even though I knew the talk of fairies was a lot of pishogue.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • I reached for it and rubbed it—even though I knew the talk of fairies was a lot of pishogue.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • I reached for it and rubbed it—even though I knew the talk of fairies was a lot of pishogue.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “All that rigmarole Henrietta McCrumb told you about the horse is nothing but pishogue,” I said.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “All that rigmarole Henrietta McCrumb told you about the horse is nothing but pishogue,” I said.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “All that rigmarole Henrietta McCrumb told you about the horse is nothing but pishogue,” I said.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “Dad would say it was all pishogue, so don’t tell him, Mom.”

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “Even though it’s pishogue, it won’t hurt to be cautious,” I agreed.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “Dad would say it was all pishogue, so don’t tell him, Mom.”

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

  • “Even though it’s pishogue, it won’t hurt to be cautious,” I agreed.

    Secret of the Night Ponies JOAN HIATT HARLOW 2009

Comments

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  • I know this word as a superstition, though Wiktionary defines it as witchcraft or a magic spell.

    December 10, 2007

  • "pishogue, usually plural, also pisherogue, fizoge, etc. Ir. Joyce 302; piseog 'witchcraft, sorcery, superstitious acts.' Incredible story, foolish talk; complaint.

    1968 Dillon 138 Fishogues, pisharogues—superstitions about ghosts, fairies, etc.; matters a person complains about. 'Them are only some of your old fishogues.'"

    Dictionary of Newfoundland English

    January 27, 2009

  • var. pishoge

    July 16, 2009

  • The old gent’s a bit of a rogue

    And knows that the occult’s in vogue,

    So ply him with toasts

    And he’ll talk of ghosts,

    Or fairies and such rich pishogue.

    As in all of the supplied usage examples, and contrary to the formal definitions, the word is used dismissively to mean superstitious nonsense.

    March 12, 2018

  • The latent thought arises - is that what pish is short for? Capital!

    March 13, 2018