Hobson's

A form of Hobson's choice — A situation where a person is presented with the illusion of a free choice, but in reality there is only one option available: accepting the offer or having nothing at all.

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Meanings

noun
  1. CockneyabbreviationellipsisslangEllipsis of Hobson's choice (“the voice”).

    He then grabbed 'old of the knife, raised it above 'is loaf, and was just about to kill his currant with it, when 'e suddenly heard the Hobson's of an angel from heaven saying, Abraham! Abraham!'

    2001, Mike Coles, The Bible in Cockney, Oxford, Oxfordshire: The Bible Reading Fellowship, →ISBN, page 23

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
hobson's choice
Cite this entry
APA

Hobson's. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson's

MLA

“Hobson's.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson's. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hobson's,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hobson's.

Source: Hobson's on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.