#that’s also not to say hobgoblin hasn’t been used as something anti Semitic recently because of cultural drift

[ichayalovesyou]

The Hobgoblin Argument (goblins are 100% anti-Semitic, however-)

“I’m trying to thank you you pointed eared hobgoblin!”

I feel like the Star Trek fandom tends to forget since JK Rowling went “you know what sounds like a great idea? What if the goblins in my books are super obvious antisemitic stereotypes?!” People get very up in arms (as they should!!) about the word goblin, they’re roots are antisemitic as well! However, just because a word contains the name ‘goblin’ doesn’t mean it shares the same anti-Semitic roots, even if it does share the same unpleasant association.

Hobgoblins, on the other hand are actually an entirely different mythical creature that, not goblins at all, as it turns out, don’t have their roots in anti-semitism unlike goblins.

For example Puck from a Midsummer Night’s Dream is called, and is meant to be a hobgoblin. They’re part of the broad faerie lore, they’re similar to Brownies, little furry faerie creatures that do chores in exchange for food but will WRECK your SHIT if you’re rude to them or piss them off. Other examples of Hobgoblins are:

Billy Blind is another famous hobgoblin who helps endangered humans with advice and information (think Na’vi, “hey listen!”).

Blue Burches is a hobgoblin shapeshifter and prankster who made it his business to harass an old man until his family got some clergymen banished him.

Robin Roundcap is the truest to the hobgoblin name as a hearth spirit, as helpful as much as he was a terrible prankster

Dobby (NOT from Harry Potter!) there are actually multiple hobgoblins by the name of Dobby in folklore. One was a classic prankster that sabotaged household chores, the other lived in a cave and cured children of whooping cough. Dobby is more of another moniker for hobgoblins and brownies.

So when Bones calls Spock a hobgoblin in Bread & Circuses he’s calling him a “tricksy smartass little bastard”, as opposed to a slur for Jewish people. Even with the difference cleared up, goblin (and associated monikers) have a lot more heat on them now because of Rowling than in the 60s. I highly doubt the intentions of the writer, Deforest Kelley or Dr. McCoy were antisemitic and even if they were, I feel like Nimoy and Shatner (who are both Jewish) would’ve had something to say about it!