bollocks

English

Alternative forms

• ballocks, bollix, 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). By surface analysis, bollock +‎ -s. Compare cullion.

Noun

bollocks pl (normally plural, singular bollock) (UK, Ireland, vulgar)

1. The testicles. [from 9th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:testicles

2. (chiefly Ireland, with singular agreement) An idiot; an ignorant or disagreeable person. [from 20th c.]
   • 1916, James Joyce, chapter V, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC:

     —I’m a ballocks, he said, shaking his head in despair. I am and I know I am.

   • 1958, Brendan Behan, Borstal Boy:

     He […] had come through Borstal institutions, mostly, I would say, by sucking up to bullying big bollixes the likes of James.

3. Nonsense; rubbish. [from 20th c.]

   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.

4. Ellipsis of the dog's bollocks. [from 20th c.]

Alternative forms

• bollox
• ballocks (Ireland)
• ballicks, ballix (Northern Ireland)
• bullocks (minced oath)

Derived terms

• Billy Big Bollocks
• Billy bollocks
• bolitics
• bollock
• bollocking
• bollocks more like
• bollocksology
• 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 (fi) 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
• Portuguese: colhões (pt)
• 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, tretas (Portugal)
• 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
• Portuguese: otário (pt)
• 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) (transitive, UK, Ireland, vulgar)

1. To break.

   The telly's bollocksed.

2. To fail (a task); to make a mess of.

   I bollocksed that exam.

Derived terms

• bollocks up

Translations

to break

• French: péter (fr)

to fail (a task)

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

Interjection

bollocks (UK, Ireland, vulgar)

1. An expression of anger, frustration, etc.

   Oh bollocks, I'm late for work!

2. 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)
• Māori: he meho
• Portuguese: mas por que, boh (pt), poh (pt), essa agora, o caralho (pt)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bollocks

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of bollock