起源于1927年的英语短语列表

• snake oil（n.）

  "蒙骗的治疗，江湖骗术"，1927年，美国英语，源于在美国农村地区使用从蛇脂（尤其是响尾蛇）中提取的油作为民间疗法。在这个意义上， Snake oil 最早可以追溯到1858年：据说它可以治愈佐治亚州的风湿病和痛风，但在宾夕法尼亚州农村地区被吹嘘为治疗耳聋的灵丹妙药。

  20世纪早期，专业药房杂志开始谴责它，不是因为它是江湖骗术，而是因为以这个名字销售的产品中没有真正的蛇油。

  What is known as snake oil is usually a combination which is handed out by the dealer to satisfy the demand of some credulous customer. A genuine oil of course is that which is obtained by "trying out" the fat of a snake, usually the rattlesnake, and to preserve their faces druggists sometimes employ a small proportion of such oil in preparing the weird mixtures dispensed by them. [The Practical Druggist, July 1912]

  所谓的蛇油通常是由商家混合出来以满足某些轻信的顾客的需求。真正的蛇油当然是从蛇脂（通常是响尾蛇）中提取的，为了保护他们的面子，药剂师有时会在制备他们所配制的奇怪混合物时使用少量的这种油。[《实用药剂师》，1912年7月]