Bullshit | |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 881325 United Kingdom 02/03/2010 08:37 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | bullshit "eloquent and insincere rhetoric," 1915, Amer.Eng. slang. Bull in the sense of "trivial or false statements" (1914) is usually associated with this, but it existed since M.E. in the sense of "false talk, fraud," apparently from O.Fr. boul, and perhaps connected to modern Icel. bull "nonsense." There also was a verb bull meaning "to mock, cheat," which dates from 1532. |
Freethinker (OP) User ID: 880441 United States 02/03/2010 08:41 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | bullshit Quoting: Anonymous Coward 881325"eloquent and insincere rhetoric," 1915, Amer.Eng. slang. Bull in the sense of "trivial or false statements" (1914) is usually associated with this, but it existed since M.E. in the sense of "false talk, fraud," apparently from O.Fr. boul, and perhaps connected to modern Icel. bull "nonsense." There also was a verb bull meaning "to mock, cheat," which dates from 1532. thanks. all authority is given to me |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 881325 United Kingdom 02/03/2010 08:41 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | "Bull", meaning nonsense, dates from the 17th century, while the term "bullshit" has been used as early as 1915 in American slang, and came into popular usage only during World War II. The word "bull" itself may have derived from the Old French boul meaning "fraud, deceit" (Oxford English Dictionary). The term "horseshit" is a near synonym. The earliest attestation mentioned by the Concise Oxford English Dictionary is in fact T. S. Eliot, who between 1910 and 1916 wrote an early poem to which he gave the title "The Triumph of Bullshit", written in the form of a ballade. The first stanza goes: Ladies, on whom my attentions have waited If you consider my merits are small Etiolated, alembicated, Orotund, tasteless, fantastical, Monotonous, crotchety, constipated, Impotent galamatias Affected, possibly imitated, For Christ's sake stick it up your ass. The word bullshit does not appear in the text of the poem, though in keeping with the ballade form, the refrain "For Christ's sake stick it up your ass" appears in each following verse and concludes the envoi. Eliot did not publish this poem during his lifetime. As to earlier etymology the OED cites bull with the meaning "trivial, insincere, untruthful talk or writing, nonsense". It describes this usage as being of unknown origin, but notes the following: "OF boul, boule, bole fraud, deceit, trickery; mod. Icel bull ‘nonsense’; also ME bull BUL ‘falsehood’, and BULL verb, to befool, mock, cheat." Worthy of note is the South African English equivalent "bull dust". Although as the above makes clear there is no confirmed etymological connection it might be noted that these older meanings are synonymous with the modern expression "bull" otherwise generally considered, and intentionally used as, a contraction of "bullshit". |
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Freethinker (OP) User ID: 880441 United States 02/03/2010 08:49 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | this ET. Bullshit is taking over and folks must be warned. Quoting: Evil TwinAgreed, and done. I can smell it a mile away, and I am telling you the world is gonna sprout mushrooms. You can't lay out this much fertilizer without causing something to grow. I call Bullshit on the lies and obfuscation and drama that get created around the systems of this world. Bullshit. It's what's for dinner. Last Edited by Bullfrog on 02/03/2010 08:50 PM all authority is given to me |
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