Hobgoblins

January 13, 2005 4:25 AM

What ARE hobgoblins? Just how is a hobgoblin different from a regular goblin? This site feels they know the troubling answer, but perhaps you have answers... of your own...
posted by Flimsy_Parkins (15 comments total)

I guess I'll never know, because the page won't load for me...
posted by Orange Goblin at 4:45 AM on January 13, 2005

Just how is a hobgoblin different from a regular goblin?

IIRC, more hitpoints. (link no work also)
posted by biffa at 5:00 AM on January 13, 2005

Also the Hobgoblin just stole the original Green Goblin's stuff.
posted by PenDevil at 5:16 AM on January 13, 2005

Hobgoblins!
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:17 AM on January 13, 2005

That movie is so bad, Faint of Butt. I love the extended '80s dance party at that lame dude's house.
posted by sciurus at 5:21 AM on January 13, 2005

In a fight between a Hobgoblin and a Bog Leech, who would win?
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 5:31 AM on January 13, 2005

Yargh! The page will also not load for me. neither.

However, my understanding of the etymology is that a hob goblin would have something to do with cooking and "the kitchen". Specifically a Goblin for the Hob (or "stove" for Americans)

Does this sound reasonable? Any more infos out there?
posted by indiebass at 5:38 AM on January 13, 2005

In a fight between a Hobgoblin and a Bog Leech, who would win?

Bog leech by a billion. Re: thread question, I believe a hobgoblin is an old, old warship used during the Civil War era.
posted by jimmy at 5:44 AM on January 13, 2005

I was looking through a book a few months ago that talked about this. It suggested that "hob" meant "good", which is why Tolkien's good little goblins are hobbits. A hobgoblin is halfway between good and bad -- as in mischievous.
posted by Stuart_R at 5:45 AM on January 13, 2005

In a fight between a Hobgoblin and Dennis Hastert, who would win?
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 6:04 AM on January 13, 2005

I thought they were the D&D equivilent of Uruk-Hai?

That said, I've always been more partial to gnolls and flinds.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:10 AM on January 13, 2005

Hobgoblin!
posted by grabbingsand at 6:13 AM on January 13, 2005

The Online Etymology Dictionary says:

1530, from hob "elf," from Hobbe, a variant of Rob (cf. Hick for Richard, Hodge for Rodger, etc.), short for Robin Goodfellow, elf character in Ger. folklore, + goblin. The original hobbyhorse was a "Tourney Horse," a wooden or basketwork frame worn around the waist and held on with shoulder straps, with a fake tail and horse head attached, so the wearer appears to be riding a horse. These were part of church and civic celebrations at Midsummer and New Year's throughout England.

posted by pracowity at 6:22 AM on January 13, 2005

I thought that hob was another name for a small devil, or imp. Of course this is based solely on watching Quatermass And The Pit, so I could be wrong.
posted by veedubya at 6:37 AM on January 13, 2005

Hah! So I pretty much just liked the sound of it, and the "anti-consistency" connotation, when I was choosing a username.
posted by Hobgoblin at 7:09 AM on January 13, 2005