What it means
A tidy way to call something total nonsense or made-up rubbish. It sounds a bit old-fashioned and slightly posh, which makes it even funnier when you drop it in an argument. The origin’s not nailed down, but people link it to wallop meaning cheap booze and cod meaning fake. Use it when someone’s chatting absolute fantasy.
Usage examples
"He reckons he used to play pro football. Mate, that’s codswallop. Saw him at five-a-side last week, he couldn’t hit a barn door."
"He insists he once turned down a record deal, but that is complete codswallop, the man cannot hold a tune in a bucket."
"You’re telling me Dave’s gonna flip one YouTube course into a property empire by Christmas. Absolute codswallop."
"Don’t give me that codswallop about the dog eating your homework, you haven’t been at school in twelve years."
"He said he could fix the boiler with a YouTube short and a butter knife. Total codswallop."
Voice comments
No one has left their voice yet. Break the ice.
Where it comes from
Origin debated, often tied to wallop for cheap beer and cod for fake, the two stacked into a word for pure nonsense. Its mock-posh ring makes it land even better in an argument.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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