presto chango

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presto chango

/ˌpɹɛs.təʊ ˈtʃeɪn.dʒəʊ/ UK
/ˌpɹɛs.toʊ ˈtʃeɪn.dʒoʊ/ US

Where it comes from

From presto + rhyming variation of change.

interjection presto changeo · presto change-o

informal Indicates the suddenness of a change or transformation, as a magic trick in which one object appears to be suddenly transformed into another. 1929, Business Week, advertisement, Just one touch lets you go from black to a second color. Presto. Chango. Or back to black. Presto. Chango. Color copies have never been easier.
Similar: hey presto, presto, abracadabra, alakazam, hey pass, hocus-pocus, kazaam, presto chango, shablam, shazam

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MLA

"presto chango." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/presto%20chango. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

presto chango. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/presto%20chango

Chicago

"presto chango." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/presto%20chango.

BibTeX

@misc{presto_chango_2026,
  title = {presto chango},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/presto%20chango},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}