# "Bull Shit" in other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072 "2009-07-06T14:07:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/1 "2009-07-06T14:07:23Z")
Do other languages have an equivalent to the American expression “bull shit”? For that matter, do non-American English-speaking countries use the expression “bull shit” as it is used in the United States? ---
**Author:** ![Jerseyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jerseyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerseyman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/2 "2009-07-06T14:12:06Z")
Yes but in Ireland and the UK, it would come 3rd after Bollocks or Cobblers (rhyming slang: Cobbler’s awl). Irishism, _He’s a bollox_ - useless and usually unpleasant with it. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/3 "2009-07-06T14:12:07Z")
Swedish: ‘skitsnack’ - don’t ask me to transcribe the pronunciation - which is used in the same way. Russian has херня (kher-NYA) - used in the same manner. Be careful, however, if you’re collecting these expressions for later use. Most Swedes wouldn’t blink if you used the word, although some might show mild disapproval, whereas using the Russian word will automatically give everyone within earshot a very low opinion of you. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/4 "2009-07-06T14:18:46Z")
> [@Jerseyman](#): > > … or Cobblers (rhyming slang: Cobbler’s awl). … what does “Cobbler’s awl” rhyme with? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/5 "2009-07-06T15:29:38Z")
I used to have a boss from El Salvador who jokingly said “mierda de toro” which is a literal translation into Spanish, but then said they don’t actually say that. She didn’t say whether they had a different idiom with the same meaning. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/6 "2009-07-06T15:59:57Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > … what does “Cobbler’s awl” rhyme with? Balls. [Cobblers](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-cob1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/7 "2009-07-06T16:00:02Z")
Dutch: “gelul”. [Scroll down the the entry on Lol](http://books.google.com/books?id=ilTCY6hePRkC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=dutch+english+gelul&source=bl&ots=_VCM1stRpB&sig=FWJ_hwgSyPBUvg6VjsFkAqs6vdU&hl=nl&ei=nh5SStrZOI3R-QbLsaWOBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/8 "2009-07-06T16:34:20Z")
There are quite a lot of German words that have a similar, but in each case slightly different meaning: Bockmist Firlefanz Schmarrn (in place of all the innumerous dialect words) Kladderadatsch Larifari Mumpitz Schmonzes, Schmoo (Yiddish) … and many more. I’d say that Firlefanz, Kladderadatsch and Mumpitz are pretty close in meaning, but, as these things go, a better one will cross my mind a second after I have clicked the post-button. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/9 "2009-07-06T18:07:26Z")
French: “merde.” But that’s excrement generally, and not necessarily that of a barnyard animal. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/10 "2009-07-06T18:11:13Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Dutch: “gelul”. [Scroll down the the entry on Lol](http://books.google.com/books?id=ilTCY6hePRkC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=dutch+english+gelul&source=bl&ots=_VCM1stRpB&sig=FWJ_hwgSyPBUvg6VjsFkAqs6vdU&hl=nl&ei=nh5SStrZOI3R-QbLsaWOBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) So if somebody did something for the lulz, would penis ensue? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/11 "2009-07-06T18:29:35Z")
In Venezuela they use “paja” (both “straw” as what you feed to cows, and “semen” as what you ejaculate). Someone is “hablando paja” means someone is bullshitting you. People might also say “he can feed herds” to mean someone prone to bullshit. You can also do the jerk off hand sign to signify without words that someone is bullshitting you. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/12 "2009-07-06T18:55:01Z")
Very common phrase in New Zealand. Often shortened to just ‘bull’, or, more commonly, ‘no bull,’ when you’re challenged on what you’re saying. “You’re telling me you drank six pints of beer in five minutes?” “Yeah, no bull!” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/13 "2009-07-06T18:59:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Very common phrase in New Zealand. Often shortened to just ‘bull’, or, more commonly, ‘no bull,’ when you’re challenged on what you’re saying. That’s common American usage, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/14 "2009-07-06T20:56:10Z")
I seem to recall that in Guatemala, the word was _basura_ (garbage) said very forcefully. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/15 "2009-07-06T21:09:03Z")
I’d heard the Chinese equivalent was “dog farts”. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/16 "2009-07-06T22:39:03Z")
Place your arms in front of your chest, with the right one on top of the left. Take the first 2 fingers of your right hand, and point them up at an angle, like a bull’s ears. With your left hand, lift all the fingers together, like a bull’s tail being lifted to … That is “bullshit” in American Sign Language. (But I’m pretty sure it is an unofficial addition to the language.) But a clear & memorable meaning! ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/17 "2009-07-06T22:40:59Z")
:smack: Ok, I might have been stupid the first time I answered: did you mean by _bull shit_ a **vulgarism** or did you also mean it in its sense as a variety of **nonsense**? In the first sense, you can strike off all of my listed words except for the first one; if you refered to its second meaning, strike off none. ---
**Author:** ![MarcinCiez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@MarcinCiez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcinCiez)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/18 "2009-07-07T02:54:55Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Very common phrase in New Zealand. Often shortened to just ‘bull’, or, more commonly, ‘no bull,’ when you’re challenged on what you’re saying. > “You’re telling me you drank six pints of beer in five minutes?” > > “Yeah, no bull!” Yep.. aussie as well… Plus “Bull Crap”. Or… “are you shitting me?” (there are others, but I wanted to stick to the theme) Polish - “gówno” (shit). ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/19 "2009-07-07T03:37:36Z")
I’m not certain if it’s used in general French, but when I was with a student group touring France a million and two years, we would play the card game _Bullshit_ while in traffic on the tour bus. Our student chaperone, however, insisted that we get in the spirit of travel and rename it _Merde de vache_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072/20 "2009-07-07T04:15:21Z")
> [@MarcinCiez](#): > > Yep.. aussie as well… Plus “Bull Crap”. Or… “are you shitting me?” (there are others, but I wanted to stick to the theme) Canada too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bull-shit-in-other-languages/502072.md?page=2)