Hobson

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A situation in which one must accept what is offered or accept nothing at all, leaving no genuine alternative
2. A predicament where the only options are to take what is given or go without, with no real freedom to choose
3. A dilemma in which refusing an available option means having no option, offering a false choice rather than true selection

Etymology: The surname Hobson grew out of a pet form of the name Robert. In medieval England, "Hob" was a familiar diminutive of Robert, and adding the patronymic ending "-son" produced "Hobson," meaning "son of Hob" or "son of Robert." Surnames built this way were common, and the same pattern gave us Dawkins from Dawkin, a diminutive of Adam, and Hodgson from Hodge, another Robert pet form. Hob itself is one of the oldest English nicknames for Robert, and it did not stay confined to surnames. "Hob" also became a common word for a male ferret and, in folklore, for a household spirit or hobgoblin, so the same syllable that named a family could also name a mischievous creature in a cottage fireplace.