bollocks

English

Etymology

An alteration of ballocks.

Pronunciation

• Noun, verb

  Audio (UK)

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• Interjection

  Audio (UK)

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Noun

bollocks (plural bollocks) (rarely used in the singular)

1. (UK, vulgar) The testicles (sometimes used in the singular)
2. (UK, vulgar) Nonsense or information deliberately intended to mislead.

   That's a load of bollocks, mate! (note: variation on spelling in parts of Northern Ireland are ballicks and ballix)

3. (Ireland, vulgar) An idiot, an ignorant or disagreeable person.

   Don't mind him; he's only an oul' bollocks!

4. (UK, vulgar) A contraction of the dog's bollocks.
5. Plural form of bollock.

Synonyms

• (testicles): See also Wikisaurus:testicles
• (nonsense): See also Wikisaurus:nonsense

Derived terms

• bollock
• bollock up, bollocks up
• bollocking
• the dog's bollocks
• drop a bollock

Translations

testicles

Danish: nosser (da) c. pl. French: couilles (fr) f. pl. Greek: αρχίδια (el) pl. Italian: testicoli (it) m. pl., (vulgar, slang) coglioni (it) pl., (vulgar, slang) palle (it) m. pl., (vulgar, slang) balle (it) m. pl.

Norwegian: pokker (no) Russian: ерунда (ru) Spanish: cojones (es) Swedish: balle (sv)

nonsense or information deliberately intended to mislead

French: conneries (fr) f. pl. German: Quatsch mit Soße (de) Greek: κολοκυθάκια με την ρίγανη (el) (kolokythákia me tin rígani), μαλακίες (el)

Italian: coglionata (it) f. Macedonian: тикви со расол (mk) (tíkvi so rásol)

an idiot or disagreeable person

Italian: (vulgar, slang) coglione (it) m.

Turkish: saçma (tr)

Verb

bollocks (third-person singular simple present bollockses, present participle bollocksing, simple past and past participle bollocksed)

1. (transitive, UK, taboo, slang) To break.

   The telly's bollocksed.

2. (transitive, UK, taboo, slang) To fail (a task); to make a mess of.

   I bollocksed that exam.

3. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of bollock.

Translations

to break

to fail (a task)

French: foirer (fr)

Italian: incasinare (it)

Interjection

bollocks

1. (UK, taboo, slang) Expressing anger, frustration, etc.

   Oh bollocks I am late for work!

Translations

expressing anger, frustration

French: les boules (fr), merde (fr), putain (fr) Italian: puttana (it) f., merda (it) f., cazzo (it) m.

Spanish: chingados (es)

Synonyms

• Horlicks (euphemism)