Nonsense Words
This is a rather unusual glossary in that all of the words on the list are essentially synonymous - they are nouns meaning nonsense, gibberish, claptrap, hogwash, rubbish ... you get the idea. It probably shouldn't be surprising that this category is so productive of weird words. After all, what better way to disparage someone's ideas than to combine some nonsense syllables to make a descriptor for them? You more or less always can identify their meaning from context alone - either they're used as interjections, preceded by words like 'such' or 'unadulterated' or 'ridiculous'. But which to choose? You have the reduplicated ones (fiddle-faddle), the pseudo-classical (brimborion), the ones that literally mean something repulsive (spinach), and of course the wide variety that are euphemisms for bodily functions. Excluded from this list are the wide variety of very fun terms that are simple vulgarities without any specific reference to nonsense.
Word
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Definition
| ackamarackus | pretentious or deceptive nonsense
| baboonery | foolishness; stupidity; nonsense
| balderdash | nonsense; a jumble of words
| ballyhoo | bombastic or pretentious nonsense
| baloney | humbug; nonsense
| bambosh | deceptive nonsense
| bilge | lower point of inner hull of a ship; nonsense or rubbish
| blague | humbug; pretentious nonsense
| blague | pretentious nonsense
| blarney | skilful flattery; nonsense
| bletherskate | a garrulous talker of nonsense
| brimborion | worthless nonsense; trash
| bugaboo | loud or empty nonsense
| buncombe | speech-making intended for the mass media; humbug
| bunk | nonsense; humbug
| bushwa | nonsense
| cack | rubbish; worthless nonsense
| claptrap | showy language designed to gain praise; nonsense
| clatfart | idle chatter; nonsense
| codswallop | something utterly senseless; nonsense
| effutiation | twaddle; humbug
| eyewash | humbug; something done merely for effect
| fadoodle | nonsense
| falderal | nonsense; meaningless refrain of a song
| fandangle | pretentious tomfoolery
| fiddlededee | nonsense
| fiddle-faddle | trifling talk
| flam | humbug; trickery
| flannel | ostentatious nonsense
| flapdoodle | gross flattery; nonsense
| flimflam | nonsense; trickery
| flummadiddle | nonsense; humbug
| flummery | anything insipid; empty compliment; humbug
| fribble | frivolous nonsense; a trifling thing or person
| fustian | pretentious writing or speech; inflated or nonsensical language
| galbanum | nonsense; a kind of gum resin
| galimatias | nonsense; confused mixture of unrelated things
| gammon | to feign an action; perpetrate a hoax on; nonsense, rubbish
| gibberish | nonsense talk
| grimgribber | learned gibberish; legal jargon
| haver | foolish nonsense
| hibber-gibber | gibberish
| hogwash | nonsense; worthless idea
| hooey | nonsense; humbug
| humbug | nonsense
| jabberwock | nonsense, gibberish
| jiggery-pokery | deceptive or manipulative humbug
| kelter | nonsense
| kidology | deceptive trickery; nonsense
| linsey-woolsey | coarse inferior wool or wool-flax weave; nonsense or confusion
| macaroni | nonsense; foolishness
| malarkey | humbug; nonsense
| morology | nonsense
| mullock | nonsense; rubbish
| mumbo-jumbo | obscure nonsense
| narrischkeit | foolishness; nonsense
| nugament | nonsense; trifle
| phonus-bolonus | exaggerated trickery or nonsense
| piddle | nonsense
| pigwash | rubbish; nonsense
| poppycock | humbug; nonsense
| posh | nonsense
| quatsch | nonsense
| rannygazoo | foolish nonsense
| razzmatazz | meaningless talk; hype; nonsense
| rhubarb | nonsense; actors' nonsense background chatter
| riddle-me-ree | nonsense language
| rottack | rubbish; nonsense
| schmegeggy | nonsense; an idiot
| shuck | nonsense
| skittles | rubbish; nonsense
| slipslop | nonsensical talk
| spinach | nonsense
| squit | silly talk; nonsense; an insignificant person
| stultiloquence | foolish or senseless talk
| taradiddle | senseless talk; deception; nonsense
| tarradiddle | lie; falsehood; nonsense; fib
| tootle | nonsensical writing or speech
| tosh | rubbish; drivel; nonsense
| trumpery | deception; trickery; showy nonsense
| twaddle | rubbish; nonsense
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I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.
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