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It appears that, contrary to common belief, hocus pocus is not related to 'hoc est enim corpus meum' n the Roman Catholic Mass. It's from 'hax pax deus adimax', a chant used in the 16th century by quack doctors. Check this sources: Phillip Howard, Words Fail Me, chapter 14: 'Lemmings'. Also found in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

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Q: What is hocus pocus?
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