'humbugger' originates from English, specifically the word 'humbug' combined with the agent suffix '-er', where 'humbug' meant 'deceptive talk or behavior' and '-er' meant 'one who performs or does'.

'humbugger' changed from the 18th-century English word 'humbug' plus the agentive suffix '-er' and eventually became the modern English word 'humbugger' used colloquially to label a deceiver.

Initially, it meant 'a person who practices humbug (deception)', and over time it has largely retained that meaning, remaining a colloquial or derogatory term for a deceiver.