BALDERDASH

balderdash, fiddle-faddle, piffle

(noun) trivial nonsense

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

balderdash (uncountable)

Senseless talk or writing; nonsense.

(archaic) A worthless mixture, especially of liquors.

(obsolete) Obscene language or writing.

Synonyms

• bunk, drivel, piffle, poppycock, rubbish, twaddle

• see nonsense

Verb

balderdash (third-person singular simple present balderdashes, present participle balderdashing, simple past and past participle balderdashed)

(archaic) To mix or adulterate.

Source: Wiktionary


Bal"der*dash, n. Etym: [Of uncertain origin: cf. Dan. balder noise, clatter, and E. dash; hence, perhaps, unmeaning noise, then hodgepodge, mixture; or W. baldorduss a prattling, baldordd, baldorddi, to prattle.]

1. A worthless mixture, especially of liquors. Indeed beer, by a mixture of wine, hath lost both name and nature, and is called balderdash. Taylor (Drink and Welcome).

2. Senseless jargon; ribaldry; nonsense; trash.

Bal"der*dash, v. t.

Definition: To mix or adulterate, as liquors. The wine merchants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 December 2024

QUANDONG

(noun) Australian tree having hard white timber and glossy green leaves with white flowers followed by one-seeded glossy blue fruit


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.

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