In colloquial English, Hobson's choice is an only apparently free choice that is no choice at all.
The first written reference to the source of the phrase is in Joseph Addison's paper, The Spectator (14 October 1712). It also appears in Thomas Ward's poem England's Reformation written in 1688, but not published until after his death. Ward writes,
- Where to elect there is but one, 'tis Hobson's choice -- take that or none.
- Where to elect there is but one, 'tis Hobson's choice -- take that or none.
Hobson's choice is different from Catch-22 where both (or all) choices available contradict each other.
Hobson's Choice is a play based on the same concept. In this case a father (named Hobson) is presented with a Hobson's Choice in his relationship with his estranged daughter. He winds up both loving her and giving her a dowry when he wanted neither.
Henry Ford sold the Ford Model T with the famous Hobson's choice of "Any color so long as it's black"[1].