gibberish

abracadabra See MAGIC.

Dutch Unintelligible gibberish, meaningless talk or writing; also, double Dutch; often in the phrase it’s Dutch to me. The allusion is probably to the meaningless jumble of sounds any foreign language seems to those who do not understand it. High Dutch was apparently the oldest variant of this expression since it appeared in the earliest OED citation from 1789; however, Dutch and double Dutch are the only forms in use today. An illustration of the use of this term is found in Charles Had-don Spurgeon’s Sermons (1879):

Greek Gibberish, unintelligible or meaningless language; usually in the phrase it’s Greek to me. The allusion is most likely to the unintelligible and senseless sound of any foreign language to those who do not understand it. The expression dates from about 1600; it is found in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar:

mumbo jumbo Meaningless chanting and ritual; nonsensical or pretentious language. This expression evolved as an English rendering for the African deity Mama Dyumbo, whom the Mandingo tribes venerated with mystical rites incomprehensible to the European explorers. The expression is now frequently used to describe senseless or ostentatious language contrived to obscure a topic or befuddle the listener.

ubble-gubble Nonsensical talk, drivel, prattle. This uncommon expression, perhaps derived as a rendering of inarticulate vocalizations, appeared in W. B. Johnson’s Widening Stain (1942).