Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to gossip, to chatter inconsequentially; thus bullshitting n.

1926		E. Hemingway letter 4 May in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 203: I’ve not had one man to talk to or bull shit with for months.
1952		(con. 1910s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 32: All this guy Johnson did was bullshit about this and that.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 212: He [...] put some sounds on and we just started to bullshit.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 27: We were bullshitting a while about upstate.
1985		N. Pileggi Wiseguy (2001) 92: Buy him some drinks. Bullshit a little.
1997		Simon & Burns Corner (1998) 245: One of the dealers rolled up and berated everyone for standing around bullshitting on company time.
2007		W. Ellis Crooked Little Vein 199: He bullshitted on the subject for a while longer.
2019		N. Walker Cherry 40: I spent a lot of time hanging out behind the restaurant, bullshitting.
2024		D. Rucker Life’s Too Short 80: I bullshit with the bartender.

2. (also bullshit on) to tell lies, to tease, to confuse with false information; thus bullshitting n.

1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 199: You might be bullshing, but I don’t think so.
1958		C. Lee diary 9 Feb. in Eight Bells & Top Masts (2001) 51: They dropped me where I was. Thought I was bullshitting.
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 90: Bullshit on Tease or annoy someone.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 120: Oh, it’s somethin’, nigga, and I ain’t bullshittin’ neither.
1973		D. Goines Street Players 9: Why don’t you motherfuckers quit bullshittin’.
1977		(con. 1940s) S. McAughtry Sinking of the Kenbane Head 103: ‘Christ,’ he said, ‘a bullshitting Irishman.’.
1988		H.G. Frankfurt Philosophical Essays 129: his presumes not only that there is an important difference between lying and bullshitting.
a.1985		‘The Open Book’ in G. Logsdon Whorehouse Bells Were Ringing (1995) 109: A bullshittin’ bastard who’s always half-plastered / is no hero just ’cause he rides.
1985		B. Robinson Aussie Bull 30: [M]ates accused me of ‘Bullshitting’.
1992		R.G. Barrett White Shoes 197: You reckon I’m bullshitting about last night. Beauty.
1998		G. Burn Happy Like Murderers 136: He was a boaster. A braggart [...] He was a romancer. A bullshitting liar.
2000		Guardian Weekend 29 Jan. 20: I’m not bullshitting them.
2006		G. Iles Turning Angel 222: Don’t bullshit me, Penn. If it’s something I need to know, tell me.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 63: They had taught him [...] how to bullshit his way through a Breathalyzer test.
2010		L. Redhead Thrill City [ebook] ‘Yep, pretty frightening,’ I bullshitted.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 63: The [...] religious disputations, chess trash talk, and other varieties of bullshitting.
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 435: Tom looked so serious and keen that I decided to lie [...] I started bullshitting, warming to my theme.
2017		G. Gilmore Headland [ebook] Murdoch [...] thought about the chances of bullshitting her. Possible [...] if he could be arsed.
2021		C. Hammer Opal Country 69: T thought people were bullshitting.
2021		L. McInerney Rules of Revelation 96: After a while of [...] Georgie’s own arrogant bullshitting – her parents gave in.
2021		‘Aidan Truhen’ Seven Demons 225: I am some hairy asshole bullshitting my way into the art scene to make money and get laid.

3. (also bullshit around) to play around, to waste time; thus bullshitting n.

1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 90: Bullshit [...] Bullshit around waste time, not study.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 110: Daddy, I ain’t going to bullshit out there.
1976		R. Price Blood Brothers 120: The other orderlies were dressing, drinking [...] and bullshitting around in general.
1981		J. Ellroy Brown’s Requiem 113: We spent the night there drinking and bullshitting.
1993		(con. 1969) N.L. Russell Suicide Charlie 137: They’ll just bullshit around until things quiet down, the protests ease off, then they’ll escalate it some more.
1996		P. Cornwell Cause of Death (1997) 354: ‘Don’t bullshit with me!’ he screamed.
2000		W. Shaw Westsiders 215: Just do it. Stop bullshitting.