A hundred years ago, there were dozens and dozens of synonyms for the word “nonsense”. Do you have a favorite? Poppycock? Malarkey? Banana oil?
Share why if you wish. The more unusual the term, the better.
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
A hundred years ago, there were dozens and dozens of synonyms for the word “nonsense”. Do you have a favorite? Poppycock? Malarkey? Banana oil?
Share why if you wish. The more unusual the term, the better.
Hogwash!
Applesauce!
Poppycock!
Bullhonky, too!
Garbage! Or marlacky!
Ok I’ll say it, Bullshit!
It was not polite to say or write “bullshit” when a lot of these terms were coined (I suppose even today it may not be considered “polite”) but the idea was definitely around if not the exact word. I recently came across a word in use about 100 years ago — bumf — which was a contraction of “bum fodder”, that is, toilet paper.
My apologies Lee for breaking the social boarders of what I and perhaps others think, but is not acceptable in most situations.
One of the few things I can agree with the late Justice Scalia on: “Argle-bargle.”
you’ve got to be kidding!
Baloney!
Hooey
Word salad
Jackassery (preferred mispronunciation with emphasis/accent on “kass”)
I just love all these words — yours , and everyone else’s selections — so, so much.
What inspired this particular question was a reading I was doing of some newspaper cartoons from the early 1900s, about a century ago. The characters used exclamations that have since passed out of our vocabulary (like the phrase “banana oil” listed in the question). It really made me think about the ways in which our language evolves, almost like a living thing.
Or is that a bunch of hooey?