BOGEYMAN

Bogeyman

A bogeyman is a mythical creature in many cultures used by adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour. The monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave, the bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief—for instance, a bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs—or general misbehaviour, depending on what purpose needs serving. In some cases, the bogeyman is a ...

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bogeyman

Noun

  1. A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories.
  2. Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract.
    The alleged link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda turned out to be a bogeyman.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: bogeyman
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

bogey man

Noun



The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: bogey man
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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