# Bollocks? what are they? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2004, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819 "2004-01-10T12:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/1 "2004-01-10T12:12:16Z")
I have heard the term time and time again. I always assumed it was the british equilivent of “aw crap”. Then I heard a British program using it as a noun. I dunno but my best guess from the context was “ass cheeks” Any of our UK dopers care to shed the light on this poor yank? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/2 "2004-01-10T12:17:16Z")
I’m a"yank" (being from the South, I bristle at that term though), so I may be wrong, but I think it means “bullshit”, though I think it’s physically referring to a bull’s balls. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/3 "2004-01-10T12:18:05Z")
> [@](#): > > [**bollocks**](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8665&dict=CALD) (BODY PART) > plural noun > OFFENSIVE FOR testicles ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/4 "2004-01-10T12:23:58Z")
BALLS!! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/5 "2004-01-10T12:30:04Z")
Real Brit here: as **Demo** says, the word literally means testicles. I believe it’s used in Antipodean countries too. [Here’s the etymology](http://www.wordreference.com/english/definition.asp?en=bollocks): “Old English beallucas, diminutive (pl) of beallu (unattested); see ball”. I have occasionally seen its archaic spelling as being “ballocks”. However, in addition to this meaning, colloquially in the UK, it has a usage very similar “crap” - e.g. “that’s a load of bollocks”; as a verb it can mean to make a mess of something - e.g. “I bollocksed that up”; or an expression of annoyance: “Oh bollocks”. In Ireland it has even more meanings, such as the similar “bollix”, which is a noun: “you’re only an auld bollix” - you are an idiot of some sort. Also “ask me bollix”, roughly translated as “no damn way”. As an aside, the primary forum on the NADS spinoff message board for UK and Irish dopers is called “[Talking Bollocks](http://pub75.ezboard.com/fnadsfrm2)” - i.e. “shooting the shit”. ---
**Author:** ![Patr100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Patr100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patr100)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/6 "2004-01-10T12:30:27Z")
When the Sex Pistols released " Never Mind the Bollocks" in the mid 70s , there was an issue in the UK as to whether shops could stock the album and if the word could be considered obscene and baned from shops here. It was determined that it was not obscene. If we say something is bollocks we do mean it is useless, bullshit, sophistry but also a noun for the testicles eg: He tried to kick me in the bollocks However the phrase “The Dog’s Bollocks” has come to mean The very best or somethng really good! ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/7 "2004-01-10T12:32:10Z")
Patr100, I see in Preview that you pipped me to the post, but here’s my original reply with some links: It can also mean [“nonsense”](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8666&dict=CALD) , hence the Sex Pistols album “Never Mind the Bollocks”, which led to a court case over [indecency](http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/10/28/120646.php). ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/8 "2004-01-10T13:31:06Z")
For Americans and others who don’t use the term, I believe its etymology tells us that it came via an older word _ballocks_, describing bulls’ testicles. That should make it a bit clearer. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/9 "2004-01-10T16:37:22Z")
> [@](#): > > However the phrase “The Dog’s Bollocks” has come to mean The very best or something really good! This is a variation on “the bee’s knees” or perhaps “the cat’s whiskers.” Or maybe the latter are “watered down” versions of the former. There are plenty of others in the same vein: “the gnat’s knackers,” the “badger’s nadger’s” etc… Slight nitpick: **jimm** , where I come from “talking bollocks” would translate better as “talking crap” (i.e. unilaterally spouting nonsense) than [shooting the shit](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shooting+the+shit), which seems to be more like making idle chatter. My favourite usage of the word bollocks: - Aah, it does of course mean the testicles of a bull. - Bollocks does it! (Oh no it doesn’t) ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/10 "2004-01-10T18:03:02Z")
As **Patr100** points out, something described as “bollocks” means something crap. Traditionally. Something described as “dog’s bollocks” or “top bollocks” means something brilliant. Because of this second meaning, “bollocks” is now also occasionally used to mean something brilliant. Hope this makes English English crystal clear 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/11 "2004-01-10T19:16:05Z")
One of those booze-cruise warehouses in Calais sells a brand of cheap wine called " Dog’s Bollocks ". I’ve tried some and it’s not bad for plonk. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/12 "2004-01-10T19:55:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EvilGhandi \* > **Then I heard a British program using it as a noun. I dunno but my best guess from the context was "ass cheeks"** I thought the same thing. Probably because the word sorta looks & sounds a bit like buttocks, and in the context you usually hear it, buttocks seems to fit well. > [@](#): > > However the phrase “The Dog’s Bollocks” has come to mean The very best or somethng really good! I’m not a Brit, but that’s cool. I’m going to have to try & work that into conversation, some how. ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/13 "2004-01-10T20:21:49Z")
Ahh, I begin to understand. The word seems to have many shades of meaning only slightly related to its literal definition. Is it like many Hawaiian words where the meaning is determined by how and why it is said? For example “aloha” which literaly means “love”, depending on context can mean anywhere from “consideration” to “goodbye”? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/14 "2004-01-10T21:06:20Z")
Originally, it literally meant “little balls,” _-ock_ having been a diminuitve suffix. This construction can be seen in “hillock,” meaning a little hill. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/15 "2004-01-10T21:18:49Z")
…and don’t forget pillock. As in ----“Rodney you daft pillock”. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/16 "2004-01-11T11:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Ahh, I begin to understand. > > The word seems to have many shades of meaning only slightly related to its literal definition. > > Is it like many Hawaiian words where the meaning is determined by how and why it is said? > > For example “aloha” which literaly means “love”, depending on context can mean anywhere from “consideration” to “goodbye”? I’m not sure it’s quite that versatile… To simplify things - and this is of course a rash generalisation - in most of its non-literal uses (i.e. when not specifically refering to testicles) the word _bollocks_ could be substituted by the word _crap_. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/17 "2004-01-11T11:58:46Z")
There should be a French word like ‘bolleaux’. That would be the dog’s bollocks! Or am I just talking a load of bollocks… ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/18 "2004-01-11T12:25:14Z")
More like a load of fetid dingo’s kidneys. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![marky33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@marky33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marky33)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/19 "2004-01-11T13:26:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Patr100 \* > \*\*When the Sex Pistols released " Never Mind the Bollocks" in the mid 70s , there was an issue in the UK as to whether shops could stock the album and if the word could be considered obscene and baned from shops here. It was determined that it was not obscene. > \*\* A nitpick: If my memory serves correctly - and it often doesn’t - a court case had already decided - before the record was finished - that Sid Vicious had not transgressed by using the word “Bollocks” in public, hence the name of the album. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819/20 "2004-01-11T13:57:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by marky33 \* > \*\*A nitpick: If my memory serves correctly - and it often doesn’t - a court case had already decided - before the record was finished - that Sid Vicious had not transgressed by using the word “Bollocks” in public, hence the name of the album. \*\* Oh please, don’t destroy one of the few worthwhile musical elements of the album - Glenn Matloch (later replaced by musical joke Sid Vicious) and Steve Jones created the band’s sound. They had already used all the good swear words on TV with Mr Grundy. Bollocks was very small potatoes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bollocks-what-are-they/223819.md?page=2)