# Please explain British saying:"a complete Horlicks"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068 "2003-06-24T16:34:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/1 "2003-06-24T16:34:36Z")

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I saw this in a BBC article:

> [@](#):
>
> Mr Straw admitted the whole “Dodgy dossier” affair was “a complete Horlicks”.

From the context I assume it means a screw-up, or something similar.

What’s the origin of this saying? Did someone named Horlicks really screw up big time?

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**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/2 "2003-06-24T16:40:07Z")

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I imagine that it’s a politer way of saying "a complete bollocks’, although I’ve never heard it before.

“Horlicks” is a hot malted drink like you have before bed. No reason why it should be used in this expression other than it sounds kind of similar.

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**Author:** ![stigoftdump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@stigoftdump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stigoftdump)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/3 "2003-06-25T14:34:52Z")

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I think it’s probably a reference to the TV advert ona while back - a woman goes about a day in the life, everything’s going wrong, and she reaches the end of her tether. “OH . . . HORLICKS!” she screams. And we cut to her, with her feet up, sipping a mug of her favourite malted beverage.

I intend to use the phrase as often as possible from now on.

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**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/4 "2003-06-25T14:53:48Z")

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Yes, it is a new-minted rhyming slang for bollicks- and I have heard it used in anger or in jest once or twice…

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**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/5 "2003-06-25T15:03:53Z")

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BBC Radio 4 said this morning that it was Parliamentary slang for a mess, inspired by the messy sludge left in the bottom of the cup after having a drink of Horlicks. Never having had Horlicks or having been to Parliament, I can’t comment.

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**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-saying-a-complete-horlicks/184068/6 "2003-06-25T18:56:04Z")

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The phrase “a complete Horlicks” became popular as a euphemism after it was uttered in public by none other than HRH Princess Anne, I think back in the Seventies. I don’t know if she originated the term though.

Julie