bollocks

English

Alternative forms

• (bowdlerized) b******s, b****cks

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɒ.ləks/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Noun, verb

  Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Interjection

  Audio (UK):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English ballokes (plural of ballok), from Old English beallucas (nominative plural of bealluc), from Proto-Germanic *ballukōz, *ballukōs (nominative plural of *ballukaz). Synchronically analyzable as bollock +‎ -s.

Noun

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

   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, vulgar) An idiot, an ignorant or disagreeable person.

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

4. (British, vulgar) A contraction of the dog's bollocks.

Alternative forms

• ballocks
• ballicks, ballix (Northern Ireland)

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

Derived terms

• bollock up, bollocks up
• bollock
• bollocking

• drop a bollock
• the dog's 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
• German: Nüsse (de) pl, Eier (de) pl
• Greek: αρχίδια (el) pl (archídia)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)
• Spanish: cojones (es)
• Swedish: balle (sv)

nonsense or information deliberately intended to mislead

• 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)
• Italian: coglionata (it) f, cazzate (it) f, palle (it) f, balle (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: тикви со расол (tikvi so rasol)
• Russian: ерунда́ (ru) f (jerundá)
• Turkish: palavra (tr)

an idiot or disagreeable person

• French: couillon (fr)
• Italian: (vulgar, slang) coglione (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: приду́рок (ru) m (pridúrok)
• Turkish: saçma (tr)

Verb

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

   The telly's bollocksed.

2. (transitive, British, taboo, slang) (also bollocks up) To fail (a task); to make a mess of.

   I bollocksed that exam.

Translations

to break

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

to fail (a task)

• French: foirer (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: incasinare

Interjection

bollocks

1. (British, Ireland, taboo, slang) An expression of anger, frustration, etc.

   Oh bollocks, I'm late for work!

2. (British, Ireland, taboo, slang) An expression of incredulity.

   Bollocks! That never happened!

Synonyms

• Horlicks (euphemism)
• (expression of anger): See Thesaurus:dammit
• (expression of frustation):

See Thesaurus:screw this

• (expression of incredulity): See Thesaurus:bullshit

Translations

expressing anger, frustration

• French: les boules, merde (fr), putain (fr)
• Greek: σκατά (el) (skatá), γάμα τα (el) (gáma ta)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: puttana (it) f, merda (it) f, cazzo (it) m
• Spanish: chingados (es), mierda (es), me cago en la puta, hostia (es)

an expression of incredulity

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: he meho
• Portuguese: mas por que, boh (pt), poh (pt)

Etymology 2

See bollock

Verb

bollocks

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of bollock