bollix
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Alteration of bollocks.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]bollix (third-person singular simple present bollixes, present participle bollixing, simple past and past participle bollixed)
- (transitive) To confuse.
- (transitive) To botch or bungle.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]confuse — see confuse
Noun
[edit]bollix (plural bollixes)
- Confusion.
- Mess.
- (Ireland, derogatory) A fool; a jerk.
- 1995, David A. Wilson, Ireland, a Bicycle and a Tin Whistle, McGill-Queen's Press, →ISBN, page 69:
- He put his arm around me, eyes half-closed from alcohol, and smiled blearily: “You're a bollix.” And then, for emphasis: “You're a right fuckin’ bollix.” I'm not entirely sure, but I'd like to think that this was a friendly greeting; […]
- 2000, Tim Bradford, Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive?: Travels in Irishry, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 74:
- Just at this moment a mad, hard-faced pensioner in black zip-up flying jacket, flared jeans and trainers hovers into view, spitting expletives. He sees me watching him and shouts across the cobbled street ‘Ye bollix!’ […] I look up at him and say ‘Sorry?’
Further reading
[edit]- “bollix”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.