Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. rubbish! nonsense!

1676		‘Session of the Poets’ in Lord Poems on Affairs of State (1963) I 354: ‘Ballocks!’ cries Newport, ‘I hate that dull rogue.’.
1684		Rochester (attrib.) Sodom IV v: Let’s see the late improvement of your art: / Bollocks! the Dildoes are not worth a fart.
1863		in R.G. Carter Four Brothers in Blue (1978) 4 May 253: Becoming enraged, and forgetting his orders [...] he [an Irishman] broke out into several loud ‘Bocklishes’ [sic].
1928		Hecht & MacArthur Front Page Act I: Oh, bollacks!
1936		‘George Orwell’ Keep The Aspidistra Flying (1962) 90: This writing business! What b—s it all is!
1940		P. Larkin letter 9 Dec. in Thwaite Sel. Letters (1992) 4: I suppose my writing is terrible. Sod & ballocks, anyway.
1946		R. Grinstead They Dug a Hole 115: ‘Don’t tell me a few S.S. men are after getting you down.’ ‘Getting me down, my bollocks!’ snapped Blunderbank.
1952		T.A.G. Hungerford Ridge and River (1966) 161: ‘Bollocky!’ he said, in a surprised voice.
1959		M. Pugh Chancer 98: ‘Oh ballocks,’ his son replied.
1961		K. Amis letter 9 Apr. in Leader (2000) 591: Bleeding ballocks to it all.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 147: ‘Ah, bollox,’ said Marchmare.
1965		E. Bond Saved Scene iii: Bollocks!
1966		P. Pinney Restless Men 68: ‘Salvation Army in Brisbane [...] Better than either here or the bush.’ ‘Bollicks,’ said the fat man.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 11: Those Z-reservists who, on receiving their recall papers for the Suez crisis, sent them back with the one word bollocks scrawled across them.
1986		F. Taylor Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 34: ‘Cheap at the price, son,’ he said. ‘B-bollocks,’ said Moxey.
1986		T. Winton That Eye, The Sky 88: ‘Oh, bollocks.’ ‘Tegwyn, another word like that and you can go to your room.’.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 33: ‘Can’t leave you on your own. No telling what you might get up to.’ ‘Bollocks.’.
1990		R. Doyle Snapper 139: Bollox! I’ve left my watch in work again.
1999		Observer Screen 4 July 16: ‘Happy New Year, sir,’ say the press. ‘Bollocks,’ is the Duke’s response.
2000		Guardian 21 Jan. 32: ‘Bollocks to that,’ I says.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 116: Meybe me mam’ll stop drinkin. An meybe ah’ll win the lottery. Ah bollox.
2001		N. Barlay Hooky Gear 3: Bollix. Dont touch nuthin.
2004		C. Brookmyre Be My Enemy 123: ‘You’re fucking fired [...]’ ‘Bollocks she is,’ Ger interjected.
2009		L. McIlvanney All the Colours 31: ‘He’s dead, Gerry.’ ‘Bollocks’.
2011		S. Kelman Pigeon English 44: Just stick your head in and shout: Me and Jordan: Bollocks!
2018		G. Gilmore Class Act [ebook] ‘I’ve never heard you apologise before.’ ‘Bollocks’.
2021		P Howard Braywatch 18: ‘That mate of his – as in, Fyodor? He rigged the election.’ ‘Me boddicks’.

2. an excl. of derision.

1952		M.F. Caulfield Black City 75: ‘Ach, it’s all over now,’ said O’Connor. [...] ‘Bollix the over!’ said Young. ‘Not as far as we’re concerned.’.
1955		J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 178: ‘God save the King.’ ‘Bollocks the King.’.
2000		F. Mac Anna Cartoon City 48: ‘It’s true, he’s an international club DJ now.’ ‘My granny’s bollocks.’.
2009		J. Joso Soothing Music for Stray Cats 26: They made announcements, some sort of problem [...] they’d give us more information as it came to them, bollocks they would.

3. a general excl. of annoyance, frustration.

1977		S. Berkoff East in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 49: Put the boot in with shrieks of ‘bollocks!’.
1988		Viz Oct./Nov. 29: Officer! Arrest that man! Sodding bollocks!
1990		R. Doyle Snapper 196: Oh, bollix to it.
2004		B. Parris Making of a Legionnaire 66: I received some bad news after la soupe. I had been picked for guard duty that night. Bollocks and double bollocks .
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 309: bollocks and botheration.