What it means
A Scottish and Irish way to say vomit, or feel like you're about to. You can also use it for anything so grim it turns your stomach, from rotten food to someone's absolutely rotten behaviour. Short, punchy, and a bit nasty in exactly the right way.
Usage examples
"That kebab from last night has me ready to boke, I knew it was dodgy when the lettuce was warm but I ate it anyway like an eejit."
"Three spins on the waltzer and I nearly boked all over the queue."
"The smell of that bin in summer is enough to make you boke."
"I had two pints, one dodgy shot, and now I'm standing outside the club trying no to boke on my trainers."
"His chat was pure boke, acting like that in front of everybody."
Where it comes from
Boke is a Scots and Northern English word with older roots going back to Middle English and older Germanic stock linked to vomiting and retching. It’s been around in Scots for ages, then stayed lively in everyday speech in Scotland and Ireland, where it still lands with that sharp, throat-hit sound.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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