Bollocks
Encyclopedia
"Bollocks" ˈbɒləks is a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning "testicles". The word is often used figuratively in British English
and Hiberno-English
, as a noun to mean "nonsense", an expletive following a minor accident or misfortune, or an adjective to mean "poor quality" or "useless". Similarly, the common phrases "Bollocks to this!" or "That's a load of old bollocks" generally indicate contempt
for a certain task, subject or opinion. Conversely, the word also figures in idiomatic phrases such as "the dog's bollocks", "top bollock(s)", or more simply "the bollocks" (as opposed to just "bollocks"), which will refer to something which is admired, approved of or well-respected.
(OED) giving examples of its usage dating back to the 13th century. One of the early references is John Wycliffe bible
(1382), Leviticus
xxii, 24: "Al beeste, that ... kitt and taken a wey the ballokes is, ye shulen not offre to the Lord..." (any beast that is cut and taken away the bollocks, you shall not offer to the Lord, i.e. castrated
animals are not suitable as religious sacrifices).
The OED states (with abbreviations expanded): "Probably a derivative of Teutonic ball-, of which the Old English representative would be inferred as beall-u, -a, or -e".
The Teutonic ball- in turn probably derives from the Proto-Indo-European
base *bhel-, to inflate or swell. This base also forms the root of many other words, including "phallus
".
" because clergymen were notorious for talking nonsense during their sermons.
It did not appear in Samuel Johnson
's 1755 dictionary of the English language. It was also omitted from the 1933 Oxford English Dictionary
and its 1941 reprint, finally appearing in the 1972 supplement. The first modern English dictionary to include an entry for the bollocks was G. N. Garmonsway's Penguin English Dictionary of 1965.
The relative severity of the various profanities
, as perceived by the British public, was studied on behalf of the Broadcasting Standards Commission
, Independent Television Commission
, BBC
and Advertising Standards Authority
. The results of this jointly commissioned research were published in December 2000 in a paper called "Delete Expletives?". This placed "bollocks" in eighth position in terms of its perceived severity, between "prick" (seventh place) and "arsehole" (ninth place). By comparison, the word "balls" (which has some similar meanings) was down in 22nd place. Of the people surveyed, 25% thought that "bollocks" should not be broadcast at all, and only 11% thought that it could acceptably be broadcast at times before the national 9pm "watershed
" on television (radio does not have a watershed). 25% of the people regarded "bollocks" as "very severe", 32% "quite severe", 34% "mild" and 8% considered it "not swearing".
A survey of the language of London teenagers (published in 2002) examined, amongst other things, the incidence of various swearwords in their speech. It noted that the top ten swearwords make up 81% of the total swearwords. "Bollocks" was the seventh most frequent swearword, after "fucking", "shit", "fuck", "bloody", "hell" and "fuck off". Below "Bollocks", were "bastard", "bitch" and "damn", in eighth, ninth and tenth places. This research regarded these words as swearwords in the context of their usage but noted that some might be inoffensive in other contexts.
to express strong disagreement. It dismisses a statement as nonsense, similar to the American "bullshit
". This can be expanded, for example, to "What a complete and utter load of bollocks!" This usage is nearly identical to the now antiquated American interjection, "Nuts!" An expression with a similar meaning is "Yer ballax!" (You're bollocks). Sometimes bollocks! is combined with an abbreviated version of the original statement, for instance: "It was your fault" - "Bollocks, it was!" (It certainly was not); or "Did England win last night?" - "Did they bollocks!" (No, they did not) or "Pubs are shit in Atherton and Westhoughton." — "Are they bollocks, there's good ones in Westhoughton!".
As well as its use as an exclamation, "bollocks" can be used as a noun to annunciate a lie, an incorrect statement, an unfair situation, misfortune or a hiding to nothing, i.e. "what a load of bollocks" or "bollocks, more like". A quotation from John O'Farrell
includes a range of examples of this usage: a character attending a comedy awards ceremony said: "These awards are a load of bollocks. It's all bollocks, all of it. These people: bollocks; this whole industry: complete bollocks; these prizes: meaningless bollocks; all these free gifts: marketing bollocks; this food: pure bollocks". Similarly, it is claimed that New Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell
"routinely dismissed unwelcome news stories as bollocks, complete bollocks and bollocks on stilts".
A related usage is in expressing contempt
for something or someone. International development charity ActionAid's slogan 'Bollocks to Poverty' has been popular with younger supporters since 2002. A Channel 4
TV programme on 9 June 2005, dealing with the subject of testicular cancer
, was (appropriately enough) entitled Bollocks to Cancer. A similar usage is the "Bollocks to Brussels
" car stickers, which were displayed by those wishing to express contempt for European law.
The word "bollocks" used on its own can also mean an expression of dismay. Often used in a single word form people will utter "bollocks" when something breaks or does not go their way, similar to a usage of the word shit
or other expletives. For example: "He took a bite of his hot dog and a large dollop of mustard landed in his lap. 'Oh, bollocks,' snapped Jeremy."
, for example: "Don't listen to him, he's talking bollocks", or "...talking absolute bollocks". Another example is "I told Maurice that he was talking bollocks, that he was full of shit and that his opinions were a pile of piss. (Rhetoric was always my indulgence.)" "Talking bollocks" in a corporate context is referred to as bollockspeak. Bollockspeak tends to be buzzword
-laden and largely content-free, like gobbledygook
: "Rupert, we'll have to leverage our synergies to facilitate a paradigm shift
by Q4" is an example of management bollockspeak. There is a whole parodic book entitled The Little Book of Management Bollocks. When a great deal of bollocks is being spoken, it may be said that the 'bollocks quotient' is high.
The word "bollocks" first appeared in the international science journal Nature in 1998 where it was reported by Professor Kemp as an asinine reaction of a science PhD student (Dr Magnus Johnson) to Nature's publication of photographs of navel fluff depicted as art. Dr Johnson was later thanked by Professor Kemp for his rounded views.
-up, balls-up, etc. Used with the indefinite article, it means a disaster, a mess or a failure
. It is often used pejoratively, as in "You made a bollocks out of that one, sunshine!", and it is generally used throughout Britain
and Ireland
.
Originally, a bollocking was a serious assault, and the term comes from the bollock dagger
, popular between the 13th and 18th centuries. There may be some connection also with the roll-lock, a form of Sliding knife
, given the euphemistic term rollock or rollocking (see below).
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest meaning as "to slander or defame" and suggests that it entered the English language from the 1653 translation of one of Rabelais' works, which includes the Middle French expression "en couilletant", translated as "ballocking". The earliest printed use in the sense of a severe reprimand is, according to the OED, from 1946.
"Dog's Bollocks Syndrome" can be used to describe an excessive use of technology or visual aid, such as in an enormous use of Flash animations on a website. It is derived from the question: "Why do dogs lick their bollocks?" (answer: "Because they can"). In a technological context, the question could be "Why has the web developer included a three-minute animated intro to this page?", prompting the response: "Dog's Bollocks Syndrome, mate. Because he can".
's purpose is to keep testicles a couple of degrees cooler than the rest of the body. However, bollock cold means very cold indeed. "It's bollock cold outside - it's enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
". Both icy weather and hard work run the risk of orchidectomy: "Fred worked his bollocks off on that last project". This phrase is sometimes used by or about women: Boy George
referred to his mother "working her bollocks off" at home. One can also "work one's bollocks to the bone".
: "Ah Ted, ye big bollocks, let's go and have a pint!". In Dublin it can be spelled "Bollix".
's speech, a chap near me growled: ‘He thinks he's the dog's bollocks’. Well, he's entitled to. It was a commanding speech: a real dog's bollocks of an oration".
Although this is a recent term (the Online Etymology Dictionary dates it to 1989), its origins are obscure:
This phrase has found its way into popular culture in a number of ways. There is a beer
brewed in England
by the Wychwood Brewery
called the "Dog's Bollocks", as well as a lager
cocktail
. There is an Australian political blog called The Dogs Bollocks, with the motto 'Truth is like a dog’s bollocks - pretty obvious if you care to look – but most of us prefer to avert our gaze, or have them permanently removed'.
, for example: "This beer is top bollock". Used in the plural, "top bollocks" can be a slang
term for women's breasts: "Look at Suzanne's top bollocks - you don't get many of those to the pound". It is also known to be used to refer to authority figures or those in power, particularly by office workers, for instance: "I have to do this, it's an order from the Top Bollocks" (see also "Top Dog
", "Top Brass" etc).
used this in The Homecoming
The phrase provided a serious challenge to translators of his work. Pinter used a similar phrase in an open letter
, published in The Guardian
, and addressed to Prime Minister
Tony Blair
, attacking his co-operation with American foreign policy. The letter ends by saying "Oh, by the way, meant to mention, forgot to tell you, we were all chuffed to the bollocks when Labour won the election
".
s". It can be shortened to Jackson's, as in "Modern art
? Pile o' Jacksons if you ask me!". Sandra Bullock
s is occasionally used to approximate rhyming slang; it does not quite rhyme, but preserves meter and rhythm
. The Beautiful South
bowdlerised their original line "sweaty bollocks" as "Sandra Bullocks", as one of several changes to make their song "Don't Marry Her" acceptable for mainstream radio play. In Ireland the rhyming slang for bollocks is "Roger Trollocks", named after a Kildare landlord during the Famine who boasted of his ability to feed the entire country with a new system of crop planting.
Jack Straw
used it to describe irregularities in the preparation and provenance of the "dodgy dossier
" regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
. Straw used the expression "a complete Horlicks", instead of the more impolite "make a complete bollocks of something". This euphemism
stems from an advertising campaign
for the Horlicks
malt
drink, where people were seen to be shouting "Horlicks!" in a loud voice, to give vent to stress or frustration. Eric Morecambe
was also known to cough "Horlicks!" behind his hand on The Morecambe and Wise Show.
s, which are devices used in rowing a boat, nor with Rollox, a name-form by which Saint Roch is commemorated in Royston, Glasgow
, nor with rollicking, which describes a kind of boisterously sportive behaviour. A rollocking bollocking may be delivered by an electorate.
in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
was shot in the Balkans". In Richard E Grant's memoir With Nails, the actor tells of going to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles
. He notes that this is the place where "Robert Kennedy was shot in the kitchens. Sorry - kitchens sounds like a euphemism for bollocks. He was killed here."
, published in 1684 and ascribed to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
, includes a character named Bolloxinion, King of Sodom (along with other characters with names such as General Buggeranthos and the maid of honour, Fuckadilla). The word bollox appears several times in the text, such as:
In 1690, the publisher Benjamin Crayle was fined 20 pounds and sent to prison for his part in publishing the play.
In one of the tales in Burton
's 1885 translation of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Kafur, the eunuch, says:
album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
. Testimony in a resulting prosecution over the term demonstrated that in Old English, the word referred to a priest, and could also be used to mean "nonsense". Defence barrister
John Mortimer
QC
and Virgin Records
won the case: the court ruled that the word was not obscene.
The usage of the word "bollocks" caused controversy when Tony Wright, a Leicestershire
trader, was given an £80 fixed penalty fine by police for selling T-shirts bearing the slogan "Bollocks to Blair
". This took place on 29 June 2006 at the Royal Norfolk Show; the police issued the penalty notice, quoting Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986
which refers to language "deemed to cause harassment, alarm or distress". Although Wright would most likely win a legal case against the fine, it is not known whether he considered challenging it or not.
Commentators have made comparisons with the Sex Pistols case, pointing to some of the statements made by John Mortimer QC: "What sort of country are we living in if a politician comes to Nottingham
and speaks here to a group of people in the city centre and, during his speech, a heckler replies "bollocks". Are we to expect this person to be incarcerated, or do we live in a country where we are proud of our Anglo-Saxon
language?".
, which are frequently broadcast in the UK as part of BBC children's programming. To "bollix things up" is not considered offensive in American English.
It was also used in the episode Intervention
of How I Met Your Mother
,
and the Hey Arnold!
episode It Girl (by a British character).
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English is the dialect of English written and spoken in Ireland .English was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of the late 12th century. Initially it was mainly spoken in an area known as the Pale around Dublin, with Irish spoken throughout the rest of the country...
, as a noun to mean "nonsense", an expletive following a minor accident or misfortune, or an adjective to mean "poor quality" or "useless". Similarly, the common phrases "Bollocks to this!" or "That's a load of old bollocks" generally indicate contempt
Contempt
Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful...
for a certain task, subject or opinion. Conversely, the word also figures in idiomatic phrases such as "the dog's bollocks", "top bollock(s)", or more simply "the bollocks" (as opposed to just "bollocks"), which will refer to something which is admired, approved of or well-respected.
Etymology
The word has a long and distinguished history, with the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
(OED) giving examples of its usage dating back to the 13th century. One of the early references is John Wycliffe bible
Wyclif's Bible
Wycliffe's Bible is the name now given to a group of Bible translations into Middle English that were made under the direction of, or at the instigation of, John Wycliffe. They appeared over a period from approximately 1382 to 1395...
(1382), Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
xxii, 24: "Al beeste, that ... kitt and taken a wey the ballokes is, ye shulen not offre to the Lord..." (any beast that is cut and taken away the bollocks, you shall not offer to the Lord, i.e. castrated
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
animals are not suitable as religious sacrifices).
The OED states (with abbreviations expanded): "Probably a derivative of Teutonic ball-, of which the Old English representative would be inferred as beall-u, -a, or -e".
The Teutonic ball- in turn probably derives from the Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
base *bhel-, to inflate or swell. This base also forms the root of many other words, including "phallus
Phallus
A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
".
Meaning "nonsense"
From the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, bollocks or ballocks was allegedly used as a slang term for a clergyman, although this meaning is not mentioned by the OED's 1989 edition. For example, in 1864, the Commanding Officer of the Straits Fleet regularly referred to his chaplain as "Ballocks". It has been suggested that bollocks came to have its modern meaning of "nonsenseNonsense
Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous...
" because clergymen were notorious for talking nonsense during their sermons.
Severity
Originally, the word "bollocks" was the everyday vernacular word for testicles—as noted above, it was used in this sense in the first English language bible, in the 14th century. By the mid-seventeenth century, at least, it had begun to acquire coarse figurative meanings (see section on "bollocking"), for example in a translation of works by Rabelais.It did not appear in Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
's 1755 dictionary of the English language. It was also omitted from the 1933 Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
and its 1941 reprint, finally appearing in the 1972 supplement. The first modern English dictionary to include an entry for the bollocks was G. N. Garmonsway's Penguin English Dictionary of 1965.
The relative severity of the various profanities
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, as perceived by the British public, was studied on behalf of the Broadcasting Standards Commission
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, Independent Television Commission
Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003....
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Advertising Standards Authority
Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
. The results of this jointly commissioned research were published in December 2000 in a paper called "Delete Expletives?". This placed "bollocks" in eighth position in terms of its perceived severity, between "prick" (seventh place) and "arsehole" (ninth place). By comparison, the word "balls" (which has some similar meanings) was down in 22nd place. Of the people surveyed, 25% thought that "bollocks" should not be broadcast at all, and only 11% thought that it could acceptably be broadcast at times before the national 9pm "watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
" on television (radio does not have a watershed). 25% of the people regarded "bollocks" as "very severe", 32% "quite severe", 34% "mild" and 8% considered it "not swearing".
A survey of the language of London teenagers (published in 2002) examined, amongst other things, the incidence of various swearwords in their speech. It noted that the top ten swearwords make up 81% of the total swearwords. "Bollocks" was the seventh most frequent swearword, after "fucking", "shit", "fuck", "bloody", "hell" and "fuck off". Below "Bollocks", were "bastard", "bitch" and "damn", in eighth, ninth and tenth places. This research regarded these words as swearwords in the context of their usage but noted that some might be inoffensive in other contexts.
"Bollocks!"
"Bollocks!" can be used as a stand-alone interjectionInterjection
In grammar, an interjection or exclamation is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker . Filled pauses such as uh, er, um are also considered interjections...
to express strong disagreement. It dismisses a statement as nonsense, similar to the American "bullshit
Bullshit
Bullshit is a common English expletive which may be shortened to the euphemism bull or the initialism B.S. In British English, "bollocks" is a comparable expletive, although bullshit is commonly used in British English...
". This can be expanded, for example, to "What a complete and utter load of bollocks!" This usage is nearly identical to the now antiquated American interjection, "Nuts!" An expression with a similar meaning is "Yer ballax!" (You're bollocks). Sometimes bollocks! is combined with an abbreviated version of the original statement, for instance: "It was your fault" - "Bollocks, it was!" (It certainly was not); or "Did England win last night?" - "Did they bollocks!" (No, they did not) or "Pubs are shit in Atherton and Westhoughton." — "Are they bollocks, there's good ones in Westhoughton!".
As well as its use as an exclamation, "bollocks" can be used as a noun to annunciate a lie, an incorrect statement, an unfair situation, misfortune or a hiding to nothing, i.e. "what a load of bollocks" or "bollocks, more like". A quotation from John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell is a British author, broadcaster and comedy scriptwriter.-Early life:O’Farrell grew up in Maidenhead, Berkshire the youngest of three children, attending Courthouse Primary School and then Desborough Comprehensive...
includes a range of examples of this usage: a character attending a comedy awards ceremony said: "These awards are a load of bollocks. It's all bollocks, all of it. These people: bollocks; this whole industry: complete bollocks; these prizes: meaningless bollocks; all these free gifts: marketing bollocks; this food: pure bollocks". Similarly, it is claimed that New Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
"routinely dismissed unwelcome news stories as bollocks, complete bollocks and bollocks on stilts".
A related usage is in expressing contempt
Contempt
Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful...
for something or someone. International development charity ActionAid's slogan 'Bollocks to Poverty' has been popular with younger supporters since 2002. A Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
TV programme on 9 June 2005, dealing with the subject of testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
, was (appropriately enough) entitled Bollocks to Cancer. A similar usage is the "Bollocks to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
" car stickers, which were displayed by those wishing to express contempt for European law.
The word "bollocks" used on its own can also mean an expression of dismay. Often used in a single word form people will utter "bollocks" when something breaks or does not go their way, similar to a usage of the word shit
Shit
Shit is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter and as a verb it means to defecate or defecate in; in the plural it means diarrhea...
or other expletives. For example: "He took a bite of his hot dog and a large dollop of mustard landed in his lap. 'Oh, bollocks,' snapped Jeremy."
"Talking bollocks" and "Bollockspeak"
"Talking bollocks" generally means talking nonsense or bullshitBullshit
Bullshit is a common English expletive which may be shortened to the euphemism bull or the initialism B.S. In British English, "bollocks" is a comparable expletive, although bullshit is commonly used in British English...
, for example: "Don't listen to him, he's talking bollocks", or "...talking absolute bollocks". Another example is "I told Maurice that he was talking bollocks, that he was full of shit and that his opinions were a pile of piss. (Rhetoric was always my indulgence.)" "Talking bollocks" in a corporate context is referred to as bollockspeak. Bollockspeak tends to be buzzword
Buzzword
A buzzword is a term of art, salesmanship, politics, or technical jargon that is used in the media and wider society outside of its originally narrow technical context....
-laden and largely content-free, like gobbledygook
Gobbledygook
Gobbledygook or gobbledegook is any text containing jargon or especially convoluted English that results in it being excessively hard to understand or even incomprehensible...
: "Rupert, we'll have to leverage our synergies to facilitate a paradigm shift
Paradigm shift
A Paradigm shift is, according to Thomas Kuhn in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science...
by Q4" is an example of management bollockspeak. There is a whole parodic book entitled The Little Book of Management Bollocks. When a great deal of bollocks is being spoken, it may be said that the 'bollocks quotient' is high.
The word "bollocks" first appeared in the international science journal Nature in 1998 where it was reported by Professor Kemp as an asinine reaction of a science PhD student (Dr Magnus Johnson) to Nature's publication of photographs of navel fluff depicted as art. Dr Johnson was later thanked by Professor Kemp for his rounded views.
A "bollocks" (singular noun)
Comparable to cock-up, screwScrew
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
-up, balls-up, etc. Used with the indefinite article, it means a disaster, a mess or a failure
Failure
Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic...
. It is often used pejoratively, as in "You made a bollocks out of that one, sunshine!", and it is generally used throughout Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Bollocks (transitive verb)
To bollocks something up means "to mess something up". It refers to a botched job: "Well, you bollocksed it up that time, Your Majesty!" or "Bollocksed up at work again, I fear. Millions down the drain".To "drop a bollock"
To "drop a bollock" describes the malfunction of an operation, or messing something up, as in many sports, and in more polite business parlance, dropping the ball brings play to an unscheduled halt.Noun
A "bollocking" usually denotes a robust verbal chastisement for something which one has done (or not done, as the case may be), for instance: "I didn't do my homework and got a right bollocking off Mr Smith", or "A nurse was assisting at an appendix operation when she shouldn't have been...and the surgeon got a bollocking". Actively, one gives or delivers a bollocking to someone; in the building trade one can 'throw a right bollocking into' someone.Originally, a bollocking was a serious assault, and the term comes from the bollock dagger
Bollock dagger
The bollock dagger or ballock knife is a type of dagger with a distinctively shaped shaft, with two oval swellings at the guard resembling male genitalia . The guard is often in one piece with the wooden grip, and reinforced on top with a shaped metal washer...
, popular between the 13th and 18th centuries. There may be some connection also with the roll-lock, a form of Sliding knife
Sliding knife
An OTF Knife, also known as an out-the-front knife, sliding knife, or telescoping knife, is a pocketknife with a blade that opens and closes through a hole in one end of the handle...
, given the euphemistic term rollock or rollocking (see below).
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest meaning as "to slander or defame" and suggests that it entered the English language from the 1653 translation of one of Rabelais' works, which includes the Middle French expression "en couilletant", translated as "ballocking". The earliest printed use in the sense of a severe reprimand is, according to the OED, from 1946.
Adjective
Bollocking can also be used as a reinforcing adjective: "He hasn't a bollocking clue!" or "Where's me bollocking car?""A kick in the bollocks" and "Dog's Bollocks Syndrome"
"A kick in the bollocks" is used to describe a significant set-back or disappointment, eg "I was diagnosed with having skin cancer. Ye Gods! What a kick in the bollocks"."Dog's Bollocks Syndrome" can be used to describe an excessive use of technology or visual aid, such as in an enormous use of Flash animations on a website. It is derived from the question: "Why do dogs lick their bollocks?" (answer: "Because they can"). In a technological context, the question could be "Why has the web developer included a three-minute animated intro to this page?", prompting the response: "Dog's Bollocks Syndrome, mate. Because he can".
"Bollock cold", "freeze (or work) one's bollocks off"
The scrotumScrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
's purpose is to keep testicles a couple of degrees cooler than the rest of the body. However, bollock cold means very cold indeed. "It's bollock cold outside - it's enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Brass monkey (colloquial expression)
The phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is a colloquial expression used by some English speakers. The reference to the testes of the brass monkey appears to be a 20th century variant on the expression, prefigured by a range of references to other body parts, especially the...
". Both icy weather and hard work run the risk of orchidectomy: "Fred worked his bollocks off on that last project". This phrase is sometimes used by or about women: Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
referred to his mother "working her bollocks off" at home. One can also "work one's bollocks to the bone".
"Bollock naked"
"Bollock naked" is used in the singular form to describe being in the nude: "he was completely pissed and stark bollock naked". "Bollocky" is Australian slang for "naked"; in the bollocky-buff is naval slang for the same.Bollocks (singular noun)
In Ireland, "bollocks", "ballocks" or "bollox" can be used as a singular noun to mean a despicable or notorious person, for instance: "Who's the old ballocks you were talking to?", or conversely as a very informal term of endearmentTerm of endearment
A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection...
: "Ah Ted, ye big bollocks, let's go and have a pint!". In Dublin it can be spelled "Bollix".
"Bollocksed"
Multiple meanings, also spelled "bolloxed":- Exhausted: "I couldn't sleep at all last night, I'm completely bollocksed!"
- Broken: "My foot pump is bollocksed."
- An extreme state of inebriation or drug-induced stupor: "Last night I got completely bollocksed".
- Hungover (or equivalent): "I drank two bottles of gin last night, I'm completely bollocksed".
- Made a mistake: "I tried to draw that landscape but I made a bollocks of it".
"Dog's bollocks"
A usage with a positive (albeit still vulgar) sense is "the dog's bollocks". An example of this usage is: "Before Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's speech, a chap near me growled: ‘He thinks he's the dog's bollocks’. Well, he's entitled to. It was a commanding speech: a real dog's bollocks of an oration".
Although this is a recent term (the Online Etymology Dictionary dates it to 1989), its origins are obscure:
- Etymologist Eric PartridgeEric PartridgeEric Honeywood Partridge was a New Zealand/British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps and the RAF correspondence department during World War II...
and the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English DictionaryThe Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
believe the term comes from the now obsolete typographical sequenceTypographyTypography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
of a colon and a dash; - Another theory suggests it is a compound word of very early 1900s MeccanoMeccanoMeccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
sets called "box, deluxe", in much the same way that their "box, standard" set name was corrupted to "bog standard". However, this explanation is not currently supported by evidence. - "The dog's bollocks" fits in with several reduplicationReduplicationReduplication in linguistics is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word is repeated exactly or with a slight change....
s of positive meaning which were popular during the 1920s ("the bee's knees", "the cat's pajamas"). - Another explanation is that the thing in question is "outstanding" like the stated canine's testicles
This phrase has found its way into popular culture in a number of ways. There is a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
brewed in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by the Wychwood Brewery
Wychwood Brewery
Wychwood Brewery is an English brewery founded by Paddy Glenny in 1983, and located in the town of Witney, Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Refresh UK, a subsidiary of Marstons plc...
called the "Dog's Bollocks", as well as a lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
. There is an Australian political blog called The Dogs Bollocks, with the motto 'Truth is like a dog’s bollocks - pretty obvious if you care to look – but most of us prefer to avert our gaze, or have them permanently removed'.
"Top bollock(s)"
"Top bollock" is used as a superlativeSuperlative
In grammar, the superlative is the form of an adjective that indicates that the person or thing modified has the quality of the adjective to a degree greater than that of anything it is being compared to in a given context. English superlatives are typically formed with the suffix -est In...
, for example: "This beer is top bollock". Used in the plural, "top bollocks" can be a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term for women's breasts: "Look at Suzanne's top bollocks - you don't get many of those to the pound". It is also known to be used to refer to authority figures or those in power, particularly by office workers, for instance: "I have to do this, it's an order from the Top Bollocks" (see also "Top Dog
Top Dog
The expression top dog is an idiomatic for the boss or the leader. In a competition, it is also the favorite or the one expected to win, and the opposite of the underdog...
", "Top Brass" etc).
"Chuffed to one's bollocks"
The phrase "chuffed to one's bollocks" describes someone who is very pleased with himself. Nobel laureate Harold PinterHarold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
used this in The Homecoming
The Homecoming
The Homecoming is a two-act play written in 1964 by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Play and its 40th-anniversary Broadway production at the Cort Theatre was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for "Best Revival...
The phrase provided a serious challenge to translators of his work. Pinter used a similar phrase in an open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
, published in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and addressed to Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, attacking his co-operation with American foreign policy. The letter ends by saying "Oh, by the way, meant to mention, forgot to tell you, we were all chuffed to the bollocks when Labour won the election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
".
Other uses
- "Bollock-head" is a vulgar British term for a shaven headHead shavingHead shaving is the practice of shaving the hair from a person's head. At different times and places people have shaved their heads for very diverse reasons: practical, religious, cultural, or aesthetic—so a shaven head has widely varying connotations depending on the context.-Early...
. It can also refer to someone who is stupid, as can "bollock-brain". The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811) cites the expression "His brains are in his ballocks", to designate a fool.
- During the 1990s, a craze of shouting "bollocks!" swept through UK festivals, for example the Reading and Leeds festivalsReading and Leeds FestivalsThe Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
.
Rhyming slang
The rhyming slang for bollocks is "Jackson PollockJackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
s". It can be shortened to Jackson's, as in "Modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
? Pile o' Jacksons if you ask me!". Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
s is occasionally used to approximate rhyming slang; it does not quite rhyme, but preserves meter and rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
. The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
bowdlerised their original line "sweaty bollocks" as "Sandra Bullocks", as one of several changes to make their song "Don't Marry Her" acceptable for mainstream radio play. In Ireland the rhyming slang for bollocks is "Roger Trollocks", named after a Kildare landlord during the Famine who boasted of his ability to feed the entire country with a new system of crop planting.
"Horlicks"
The term "Horlicks" was brought to prominence in July 2003, when then-British Foreign SecretarySecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
used it to describe irregularities in the preparation and provenance of the "dodgy dossier
Dodgy Dossier
Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation was a 2003 briefing document for the Blair Labour government...
" regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
During the regime of Saddam Hussein, the nation of Iraq used, possessed, and made efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction . Hussein was internationally known for his use of chemical weapons in the 1980s against Iranian and Kurdish civilians during and after the Iran–Iraq War...
. Straw used the expression "a complete Horlicks", instead of the more impolite "make a complete bollocks of something". This euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
stems from an advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
for the Horlicks
Horlicks
Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia....
malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
drink, where people were seen to be shouting "Horlicks!" in a loud voice, to give vent to stress or frustration. Eric Morecambe
Eric Morecambe
John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
was also known to cough "Horlicks!" behind his hand on The Morecambe and Wise Show.
Euphemisms for "the dog's bollocks"
There are also several broadly synonymous substitute phrases for "the dog's bollocks", that are sometimes used for humorous effect, including "the mutt's nuts", "the dog's danglies", "the dogs back wheels" and "the badger's nadgers".Rowlocks/rowlocking
Rollocking is sometimes used as a euphemism for "bollocking", and is not to be confused with rowlockRowlock
A rowlock or oarlock is a brace that attaches an oar to a boat. When a boat is rowed, the rowlock acts as a fulcrum, and, in doing so, the propulsive force that the rower exerts on the water with the oar is transferred to the boat by the thrust force exerted on the rowlock.On ordinary rowing...
s, which are devices used in rowing a boat, nor with Rollox, a name-form by which Saint Roch is commemorated in Royston, Glasgow
Royston, Glasgow
Royston/Roystonhill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. It was previously known as Garngad and is still known as such by residents with a familial link to the area...
, nor with rollicking, which describes a kind of boisterously sportive behaviour. A rollocking bollocking may be delivered by an electorate.
Bollards
The 2007 Concise new Partridge dictionary of slang and unconventional English quotes "bollards" as meaning "testicles" and that it is a play on the word bollocks.Humour
There is a strand of English humour which uses words that sound similar to "bollocks", or other slang words for testicles, for comic effect. A good example would be "In SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
was shot in the Balkans". In Richard E Grant's memoir With Nails, the actor tells of going to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He notes that this is the place where "Robert Kennedy was shot in the kitchens. Sorry - kitchens sounds like a euphemism for bollocks. He was killed here."
Literature
The play Sodom, or the Quintessence of DebaucherySodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery
Sodom is an obscene Restoration closet drama, published in 1684. The work has been attributed to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester., though its authorship is disputed...
, published in 1684 and ascribed to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , styled Viscount Wilmot between 1652 and 1658, was an English Libertine poet, a friend of King Charles II, and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry. He was the toast of the Restoration court and a patron of the arts...
, includes a character named Bolloxinion, King of Sodom (along with other characters with names such as General Buggeranthos and the maid of honour, Fuckadilla). The word bollox appears several times in the text, such as:
- "Had all mankind, whose pintles I adore,
- With well fill'd bollox swiv'd me o'er and o'er.
- None could in nature have oblig'd me more."
In 1690, the publisher Benjamin Crayle was fined 20 pounds and sent to prison for his part in publishing the play.
In one of the tales in Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
's 1885 translation of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Kafur, the eunuch, says:
- "But now my spirit is broken and my tricks are gone from me, so alas! are my ballocks."
Obscenity court ruling
Perhaps the best-known use of the term is in the title of the 1977 punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is the only studio album by the highly influential and controversial English punk rock band The Sex Pistols...
. Testimony in a resulting prosecution over the term demonstrated that in Old English, the word referred to a priest, and could also be used to mean "nonsense". Defence barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
John Mortimer
John Mortimer
Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
and Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
won the case: the court ruled that the word was not obscene.
The usage of the word "bollocks" caused controversy when Tony Wright, a Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
trader, was given an £80 fixed penalty fine by police for selling T-shirts bearing the slogan "Bollocks to Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
". This took place on 29 June 2006 at the Royal Norfolk Show; the police issued the penalty notice, quoting Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986
Public Order Act 1986
The Public Order Act 1986 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates a number of public order offences. They replace similar common law offences and parts of the Public Order Act 1936...
which refers to language "deemed to cause harassment, alarm or distress". Although Wright would most likely win a legal case against the fine, it is not known whether he considered challenging it or not.
Commentators have made comparisons with the Sex Pistols case, pointing to some of the statements made by John Mortimer QC: "What sort of country are we living in if a politician comes to Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
and speaks here to a group of people in the city centre and, during his speech, a heckler replies "bollocks". Are we to expect this person to be incarcerated, or do we live in a country where we are proud of our Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
language?".
Not current in American English
The phrase "bollix things up", frequently misheard in the UK as "bollocks things up" appears in episodes of The FlintstonesThe Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, which are frequently broadcast in the UK as part of BBC children's programming. To "bollix things up" is not considered offensive in American English.
It was also used in the episode Intervention
Intervention (How I Met Your Mother)
"Intervention" is the fourth episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your Mother and 68th overall. It originally aired on October 13, 2008.-Plot:...
of How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
,
and the Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold!
Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends...
episode It Girl (by a British character).
See also
- Art bollocksArt bollocksArt Bollocks is the title of an article written by Brian Ashbee, appearing in Art Review in April 1999. In it Ashbee points out the enhanced significance accorded language, referred to as "theoretical discourse", as a counterpart of especially "post-modern" art...
- BullshitBullshitBullshit is a common English expletive which may be shortened to the euphemism bull or the initialism B.S. In British English, "bollocks" is a comparable expletive, although bullshit is commonly used in British English...
- SlangSlangSlang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
- WikiSaurus:testicles