Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to cheat, to delude, to deceive; thus humbugging n.

1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 581: He who seemed to be the most afflicted of the two, taking his departure, with an exclamation of ‘Humbugged, egad!’.
1763		Gilly Williams in Jesse George Selwyn (1843) I 244: I believe that Lady Charlotte only humbugs you to make you smuggle some lace.
1772		G. Stevens ‘The Humbug’ Songs Comic and Satyrical 133: A load of conceits, a long life we are lugging, / Which some are Humbugg’d by, and some are Humbugging.
c.1778		H. Brooke ‘On Humbugging’ in Chalmers Eng. Poets XVII (1810) 428/1: Of all trades and arts in repute or possession, Humbugging is held the most ancient profession.
a.1783		Henry Brooke Poems (1778) ‘On Humbugging’ in Chalmers Eng. Poets (1810) xvii 428: Of all trades or arts in repute or possession / Humbugging is held the most ancient profession [F&H].
c.1785		‘The Connaughtman’s Visit to dublin’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 388: You people of Dublin who whollies [i.e. follows] the rules, / Of canting poor strangers and humbugging fools.
c.1790		‘The Connaughtman’s Visit to Dublin’ Luke Caffrey’s Gost 2: You people of Dublin who whollies the rules, / Of canting poor strangers and humbugging fools.
1796		T. Morton Way to Get Married in Inchbold (1808) XXV 9: If I can humbug old Allspice out of a few thousands [...] I shall cut a gay figure, and make a splash yet.
1809		B.H. Malkin (trans.) Adventures of Gil Blas (1822) II 113: Not satisfied to humbug a silly old gentleman with a tale of love, you share his property in your person with another.
1812		T. Moore in Examiner 8 Mar. 157: ’would please me if those, whom I’ve humbug’d so long / With the notion (good men!) that I know right from wrong.
1817		M. Lewis 4 Mar. Journal of a West India Proprietor (1834) 374: They believed it would give them the power of humbugging the white people.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London II 338: Here the friend and the brother / Meet to humbug each other.
1825		J.K. Paulding John Bull in America 297: But I’m not to be humbugged by a cock-and-bull story.
1834		‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson 156: They was told haw as they’d bin humbugg’d out of their lands.
1836		M. Scott Cruise of the Midge I 215: What mean you, man – speak out – no humbugging.
1837		Thackeray Yellowplush Papers in Works III (1898) 336: You were completely bitten, my boy – humbugged, bamboozled.
1842		S. Lover Handy Andy 112: I’ve humbugged you, sir – humbugged. I’ve sold you – dead.
1843		Bellew Memoirs of a Griffin I 109: I began to suspect that the rascal was humbugging me for a purpose.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. IV 114: There’s no use o’ humbuggin’, Jack!
1850		Manchester Spy (NH) 5 Oct. n.p.: Too keen-sighted to be humbugged by such a paltry subterfuge.
1855		Delhi Sketch Bk 1 Apr. 39/2: Why—I went and got converted!!! / That's the way to humbug him!!!!
1856		C. Reade It Is Never Too Late to Mend 1 197: He doesn’t know them, and they humbug him.
1865		R.S. Surtees Facey Romford’s Hounds 347: Facey thought it would be good fun to humbug the Larkspurites.
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 31: ‘Ah, dat English man-of-war I know,’ the old fellow cried. ‘Now, I go off and get five dollars, and humbug John Bull, you see.’.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Jan. 4/3: It is related that when a reprieve was granted to a convict for whose execution preparations had been made by Elliott, the latter coiled up the rope and flung it to the floor, exclaiming, ‘That’s the third time I’ve been humbugged.’.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) XI 2177: She told me how she had humbugged her mother.
1890		Sporting Times 15 Mar. 2/2: One must, of course, expect to be hussled and humbugged and swindled by the French companies and their officials.
1895		W. Le Queux Temptress 18: ‘What!’ cried Hugh [...] ‘You’re humbugging me!’.
1895		Truth (Sydney) 17 Mar. 6/8: The reason men do not go to Church is because they do not care be humbugged seven days out of the week instead of six.
1901		Truth (Sydney) 17 Nov. 7/3: There are sum humbuggin’ women / Preachin’ of there wimnen’s votes, / Cums around the bloomin’ factry, / Stuffin’ nonsense down there throats .
1908		K. Grahame Wind in the Willows (1995) 238: I’ve only [...] disguised myself and gone about the country humbugging everybody, that’s all!
1916		J. Buchan Greenmantle (1930) 210: He was a capital good fellow, and it made me feel sick to think that I was humbugging him.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 425: Humbugging and deluthering as per usual with your cock and bull story.
1928		L. Mackay My Oul’ Town 51: Och, in troth now, Felix, ye’re always humbuggin’ me, so ye are.
1936		C. Sandburg People, Yes 80: The people love to be humbugged.
1944		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 2 June 4/4: There is far too much humbugging with you young miners.
1953		Lynn Doyle Back to Ballygullion 83: Whatever rubbish she has humbugged you into buying, I’m sure I wouldn’t put it on my head.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 242 : hombug, humbug v. 1. Deceive. 2. Manipulate.

2. to waste time talking.

1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 184: It’s no use humbugging like this [...] let’s crack the crib and go in at once!
1856		C. Reade It Is Never Too Late to Mend II 3: What are you all humbugging there for, and why does not that young rascal turn out to work? I’ll physic him.

3. (US black) to fight, to act tough; thus humbugging n., fighting, brawling.

1969		T. Kochman ‘“Rapping” in the Black Ghetto’Trans-action Feb. 27/1: ‘They went on up there, John, Roy and Skeeter went in there. And they start humbuggin (fighting) in there. That's how it all started. Sixty-six found out they couldn’t beat us’.
1971		H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: humbugging v. being or acting tough; fighting, especially in a group.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 242: hombug, humbug v. […] 3. Fight.

4. (Aus.) to pester for, to cadge from.

1993		Aus. Word Map 🌐 humbug 2. to bludge or beg cigarettes or drinks: Signs in hotels in Tennant Creek and Katherine state no humbugging allowed.
2016		D. Whish-Wilson Old Scores [ebook] Most kids in this situation would humbug Des until he relented, told the stories of the banks and his life on the run.