noun
poppycock
PAH-pee-kahk/ˈpɑːpikɑːk/
Nonsense or foolish talk.
The listener dismisses the moon-is-cheese claim as poppycock.
Etymology
Poppycock probably comes from a Dutch compound combining “soft food” and “dung.” On that account, its dismissive force comes from treating foolish talk as something worthless and disgusting.
In context
people are opposing it objecting to it what about my freedoms my liberties all that kind of poppycock
More examples
- The claim that the machine runs forever is pure poppycock.
- He will not waste time arguing about such poppycock.
- “That is poppycock,” she says after checking the figures.
Forms
poppycock
Similar words
- nonsense
- The neutral, broader term for foolish or meaningless talk.
- balderdash
- Balderdash is another emphatic, old-fashioned dismissal of nonsense; poppycock has a similarly comic tone.