bug-a-boo

plural bug-a-boos · alternative bugaboo

1. A mythical, nocturnal creature; a hobgoblin.

   The German ubu, as well as the French bibou, is also used for bug-a-boo, hobgoblin, or any other fantastical, terrific nocturnal object.

   1776, William Kenrick, London review of English and foreign literature, page 316

   Synonyms: goblin

2. Any imagined fear or threat, or a fear presumed larger than it really is.

   “Oh! Of all the intolerable bugaboos. Gentlemen, this is a family discu-- Oh!”

   2006 August 6, Jackson Publick, “Twenty Years to Midnight” (17:35 from the start), in The Venture Bros., season 2, episode 5, spoken by Professor Impossible (Stephen Colbert)

   3 more examples

   ...a fear had come upon them, and they had a kind of bug-a-boo terror about roving gangsters.

   1949, – George R. Stewart, Earth Abides, page 80

   There is the Goody-good Bug-a-boo, the Consistency Bug-a-boo, and the Bug-a-boo that Thomas Jefferson if he were living now, would never never ride in a carriage. Each of these bug-a-boos in the general mistiness and muddleheadedness of the time can be seen going about, saying "Boo! Boo!" to this democracy ...

   2008, Gerald Stanley Lee, Crowds, →ISBN, page 543

   “Uh, Celeste? Sorry to bug. You said you were gonna start making us vampires, quote, "Hopefully within the week." And that was last week.” “Is someone talking to me right now?” “That's actually true. You did say that. And I don't want to be a bugaboo.” “Bugaboo?” “But you know what it's like for us.” “What is this, an ambush?” “Sort of, like, a timeline would mean a l-lot.” “Okay.”

   2020 May 27, Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil, “Collaboration” (17:32 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 2, episode 8, spoken by Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén)