Hello, Kitkat.
"Ho" is the abbreviation for "house".
"Lug" can mean a "stupid or clumsy man".
Reverse "lug" around "ho" and you have "ghoul" meaning a spirit.
Many thanks rusty. I didn't know the word lug. I had looked online but couldn't find it. Though my dictionary had lots of different meanings but not that one.
Is it from a particular county / area do you know?
Lug = a stupid or clumsy person is in Chambers dictionary, often used in crosswords. There's no indication of the word being linked to any particular county or area, so I assume it's Britain-wide!
Thanks Malone. I haven't heard it before. My dictionary is a Chambers, however it is extremely old. (Although that has the benefit of it containing some old words)
This forum is so helpful for explanations.
Glad I could help, KitKat. My Chambers is the Revised 13th Edition, but I'm surprised Lug isn't in yours, I don't think of it as a particularly new word.