bollocks

English

Alternative forms

• b******s, b****cks (bowdlerized)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɒ.ləks/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Noun, verb

  Audio (UK)

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• Interjection

  Audio (UK)

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• Rhymes: -ɒləks

Etymology 1

From Middle English ballokes (plural of ballok), from Old English beallucas (nominative plural of bealluc). Synchronically analyzable as bollock +‎ -s. Compare cullion.

Noun

bollocks pl (normally plural, singular bollock)

1. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar) The testicles (sometimes used in the singular)

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:testicles

2. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar) Nonsense or information deliberately intended to mislead.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonsense

   That's a load of bollocks, mate!

   • 2014, Peter Smith, Confessions of a Dice Dealer, page 105:

     All the dealers would steam into his cabin for a few sherbets after work, and to listen to his bollocks.

3. (Ireland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, used as singular) An idiot, an ignorant or disagreeable person.

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

4. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar) Ellipsis of the dog's bollocks.

Alternative forms

• ballocks
• ballicks, ballix (Northern Ireland)
• bullocks (confusion with the word for “small bull”)

Derived terms

• bollock
• bollocking
• bollocks more like
• bollocks to it
• bollock up, bollocks up
• kick bollocks scramble
• kick in the bollocks
• the dog's bollocks
• top bollocks

 

Translations

testicles

• Catalan: collons (ca) m pl
• Danish: nosser c pl
• Finnish: pallit pl, munat (fi) pl, kassit (fi) pl
• French: couilles (fr) f pl, pruneaux (fr) m pl, bijoux de famille (fr) m pl, valseuses (fr) f pl
• German: Nüsse (de) pl, Eier (de) pl
• Greek: αρχίδια (el) pl (archídia)
• Hebrew: אֲשָׁכִים‎ m pl (ashakhím), (slang) בֵּיצִים‎ f pl (betsím)
• Italian: testicoli (it) m pl, (vulgar, slang) coglioni (it) pl, (vulgar, slang) palle (it) m pl, (vulgar, slang) balle (it) m pl
• Norwegian: pokker
• Russian: я́йца (ru) n pl (jájca), мудя (ru) n pl (mudjá) (vulgar, slang)
• Spanish: cojones (es), huevos (es) m pl, bolas (es) m pl
• Swedish: balle (sv)

slang: complete nonsense or worthless misinformation deliberately intended to mislead

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 放屁 (zh) (fàngpì)

• Finnish: moska (fi)
• French: conneries (fr) f pl, foutaises (fr) f pl
• German: Quatsch mit Soße (de)
• Greek: κολοκυθάκια με την ρίγανη (kolokythákia me tin rígani), μαλακίες (el) (malakíes), παπαριές (el) n pl (papariés)
• Hebrew: שְׁטוּיוֹת‎ f pl (shtuyót), (vulgar, slang) זִיּוּן־שֵׂכֶל‎ m (ziyùn-sékhel)
• Italian: coglionata (it) f, cazzate (it) f, palle (it) f, balle (it) f
• Macedonian: тикви со расол (tikvi so rasol)
• Portuguese: besteira (pt) f, baboseira (pt) f
• Russian: ерунда́ (ru) f (jerundá)
• Spanish: falsedad (es) f
• Turkish: palavra (tr)

an idiot or disagreeable person

• French: couillon (fr), jean-foutre (fr) m, malcomprenant (fr) m
• Italian: (vulgar, slang) coglione (it) m
• Russian: приду́рок (ru) m (pridúrok)
• Turkish: saçma (tr)

Verb

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

1. (transitive, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) To break.

   The telly's bollocksed.

2. (transitive, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) (also bollocks up) To fail (a task); to make a mess of.

   I bollocksed that exam.

Translations

to break

• French: péter (fr)

to fail (a task)

• French: foirer (fr), chier dans la colle (fr)
• Italian: incasinare (it)

Interjection

bollocks

1. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) An expression of anger, frustration, etc.

   Oh bollocks, I'm late for work!

2. (Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) An expression of incredulity.

   Bollocks! That never happened!

Synonyms

• Horlicks (euphemism)
• (expression of anger): See Thesaurus:dammit
• (expression of frustration): See Thesaurus:screw this
• (expression of incredulity): See Thesaurus:bullshit

Translations

expressing anger, frustration

• French: les boules, merde (fr), putain (fr), putain de merde (fr), vingt dieux (fr)
• Greek: σκατά (el) (skatá), γάμα τα (el) (gáma ta), παπάρια n pl (papária)
• Italian: puttana (it) f, merda (it) f, cazzo (it) m
• Spanish: chingados (es), mierda (es), me cago en la puta, hostia (es), cojones (es)

an expression of incredulity

• French: merde (fr), putain (fr)
• Maori: he meho
• Portuguese: mas por que, boh (pt), poh (pt), essa agora

Etymology 2

See bollock

Verb

bollocks

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of bollock