Is "Bollocks" a British word for "Balls"?

[sasquatch]

:shrug:

[noise626]

1. Yes, I believe so...

:D

Nevermind the Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols!!

[ghostsofgiants]

2. Pretty sure it is, yeah

[lenidog]

3. Yes

[Lavender Brown]

4. *giggle*

[Sanity Claws]

5. I think it means more like "bullshit"

[Sanity Claws]

9. I stand corrected

I found this entry from a British - American English dictionary:

bollocks n. How do I put this delicately... bollocks are testicles. The word is in pretty common use in the UK (not in my house, of course!) and works well as a general "surprise" expletive in a similar way to bugger. The phrase "the dog's bollocks" is used to describe something particularly good (yes, good) - something like "see that car - it's the dog's bollocks, so it is". This in turn gives way to homonym phrases like "the pooch's privates" or "the mutt's nuts" which all generally mean the same thing. Oh, and this beer from Wychwood Brewery. The word has also slipped through the the State of Florida's censors in the wonderful form of this registration plate. We also describe a big telling-off as a bollocking, and additionally use the word to mean "rubbish" (as in "well, that's a load of bollocks").

http://english2american.com/dictionary/b.html

So while the word literally means "balls," it's used more to mean "bull"

[tjwmason]

10. It is used in a similar sense

but strictly speaking refers to male genetalia.

If Tony Blair were to explain why the Downing Street memo is an irrelevant distractions I would reply "with respect, Prime Minister, that's bollocks" in the same way that an American might call it bullshit.

However, if I were to kick another man between the legs very hard he could say to me "you got me right in the bollocks there" - meaning his testicles.

See also the slightly bizarre dog's bollocks referred below.

[tjwmason]

6. Yes - in the sense of testicles

One would not speak of rugby bollocks....

There is also a specific usage 'the dog's bollocks', whilst one might naturally assume this to be negative it is in fact a highly positive term denoting the best available. Thus is one's girl-friend were to ask what one thought of her new earings and one replied "they're the dog's bollocks" it would be a great compliment to her.

[Sanity Claws]

12. You Brits are weird

No wonder we revolted! ;)

[tjwmason]

13. You're still revolting if you ask me

:P

I think that "the dog's bollocks" is antipodean in origin - there is an Australian wine marketed under that name (I was first served said wine by a Priest of all people). That is the only confusing part of the whole construction, which makes an Australian source rather likely.

[CJCRANE]

7. Yes but...

also has the same meaning as "BS":

e.g. in phrases like "that's b*ll*cks" or "that's a load of b*ll*cks".

[Strawman]

8. Never mind that n/t

[arwalden]

11. There's That Actress... Sandra Bollock. And That Actor... Jim J. Bollock.

[Blue-Jay]

15. Doesn't he spell "Jim" without the 'i'?

Jm.

Weird.

[arwalden]

17. He Used To...

That's how I recall seeing it on the credits for Too Close For Comfort (and that's how it appeared when he was doing the 80's version of Hollywood Squares).

But on the recent episodes of Queer Duck, he was credited as "Jim J."

guess he got tred of the gmmck of not usng the letter eye.

[billyskank]

14. It means both "testicles" and "bullshit."

It's a fantastic word. I love it. :D

[billyskank]

16. In fact, I've thought about it some more, and here are my findings

"Bollocks," like most swear words, can mean many things these days, and you can tell by the context. For example:

"Ow my bollocks!" - "I have painful testicles."

"That's bollocks!" - "That is an untruth."

"Bollocks!" <1> - "Oh dear."

"This car is bollocks!" - "I have misgivings about the quality of this car."

"My car is the bollocks!" - "No-one has a better car than me."

"Bollocks!" <2> - "I don't believe you."


Many other useages are doubtless possible.

[CJCRANE]

18. Pronounced:"bollux"

n/t

[billyskank]

19. Good thinking.

Wouldn't want any of our American cousins thinking it was bol-LOX. That would be bad. :)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. Guys have balls, blokes have bollocks. (nt)