British Slang For Nonsense (Bollocks!)

The British are universally known as a no-nonsense kind of people.

They don’t mess around and they don’t deal with nonsense or look on it kindly.

That said, perhaps for this very reason, they have developed a wide lexicon of slang terms that mean nonsense, most of them being fairly unique and memorable terms that are instantly recognizable as British slang.

Today, we’re going to look at some of those terms, so let’s get started.

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Drivel

First we have a pretty simple and standard British slang term for nonsense: drivel.

This one means kind of low-grade nonsense, and is particularly used to describe someone who is talking at length without really saying much.

They are talking drivel. “What is he going on about? This is complete drivel,” for example.

It derives from the Old Englishj dreflian, which means to slobber at the nose.

By the 14^th Century, it had taken on the meaning of talking nonsense, deriving from the idea of children talking nonsense and drivel.

Hogwash

Next we have hogwash, which, while it has gained some use outside of Britain, it is definitely still a British slang term.

Hogwash means a certain kind of nonsense, perhaps some kind of folklore or superstition which is clearly nonsensical to one listener.

“All this about gnomes and elves is complete hogwash,” for example.

It derives from the 15^th Century term which referred to slops from kitchen fed to hogs.

By the 18^th Century, it meant in particular, written nonsense, and later expanded to all nonsense.

Poppycock

Poppycock is another great one that is used throughout Britain, though it may be considered somewhat archaic at this point.

It is often used in the sense of telling someone that a story or excuse they’ve given is patently untrue.

“I asked him where he’d been and he fed me a load of poppycock,” for example.

This one actually originated in the U.S., and spread back to Britain in the 19^th Century.

It meant trivial talk at first, and in Britain came to have more the sense of lies, particularly those told actively by a child.

Balderdash

Next we have balderdash, another uniquely British term that is used across the nation to describe all sorts of nonsense.

Again, this one in particular, has the sense of superstitious nonsense, and of dismissing as silly certain claims about the paranormal.

“This ghost stuff is all balderdash,” for instance. It’s certainly a bit antiquated, but British people love it for that very reason!

Its origin is unknown despite voracious speculation in the 19^th Century.

Our best guess is that it comes from the sense of a jumbled mix of liquors, used in the Early Modern period.

Codswallop

Codswallop is another great and quintessentially British slang term for nonsense.

It is another term you might use for any kind of nonsense, though particularly with superstitions and even religious beliefs.

“I’ve never been able to get into all that, just sounds like codswallop to me,” for example.

There are claims the term originated in the 19^th Century, but there’s no evidence it’s much older than 1959.

It seems to come from the word wallop meaning beer, and cod in the sense of “testicles”—though we are far from certain.

Rubbish

Rubbish is a very widely used slang term in Britain for nonsense—indeed perhaps the single most widely used slang term.

If something is rubbish, you don’t believe it and even feel contempt that the person expected you to believe it. “I can’t believe you’re telling me all this rubbish!” for example.

We don’t really know when this one originated, but again it does seem that it was first used in the 19^th Century.

“Rubbish” is also a word for garbage in British slang, so this is the sense of it.

Cow-slaver

This one is definitely an older and much more obscure phrase meaning nonsense, but it is still in use to some degree.

It is a simple reference to the way cows tend to drool and slaver as they eat—which can make them look quite stupid! “You’re talking complete cow-slaver,” for example.

This one originated in the 19^th Century and was a simple case of a reference to a real-world thing taking on a slang meaning.

Horsefeathers

Next we have “horsefeathers” which, while not as widely used as it once was and perhaps none too widely understood anymore, is still used by many British speakers.

The sense is nonsense of any kind, whether a story someone is telling you or superstition.

“Sounds like horsefeathers to me, I don’t know,” for example.

It is said to have been cared by a cartoonist in 1927, though some relate it rather to the vulgar phrase “horsesh**”. It’s not clear where it comes from.

Humbug

Humbug has a variety of meanings, and perhaps largely due to the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge constantly says this word to indicate his distaste for Christmas.

However, precisely what he is saying is that Christmas and its traditions are nonsense. “This is all a lot of humbug,” for example.

It seems to derive from the 18^th Century sense of a trick or a prank that you would play on someone.

Beyond that, its origin is a mystery.

Bollocks

If something is untrue, it can be said to be “a load of bollocks”

Likewise, if someone is talking a load of rubbish, they can be “talking bollocks”

You might say “That is such a load of bollocks, what you’ve just told me!”

Or you might say “You’re talking bollocks, Roger!”

Blather

Next we have “blather”, which means to talk continuously without really saying anything of value.

When you blather, you tend to talk a lot of nonsense.

It’s not really something you would say about anything that was written down.

“Can you stop blathering for a minute, you’re talking nonsense,” for example.

This is a very old term that originates in the 16th Century, where blether in Scots meant to talk and mutter needlessly.

Bosh

Bosh is another one which, while not as popular as it once was, is in some regions the standard go-to slang term for nonsense.

It simply means empty talk, saying things that are untrue, talking nonsense. “This is a lot of bosh, you know?” for example.

It comes from the Turkish word meaning “empty”, and is first attested in British use in 1839.

Bull

Finally, we have “bull”, which you may well recognize.

This one is also used in a lot of English-speaking countries, but certainly has its own unique British character. “That’s a lot of bull, don’t listen to them,” for example.

This one, too, is ultimately borrowed from the American slang phrase “bullsh**”, and was in use by around 1914.

So, if someone is talking nonsense to you and you want to try out some British slang on them, we’ve got you covered.

Any one of the terms on this list will be a good way to tell the person that you know they’re full of it, and they should start being straight with you.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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