balls

balls
n pl
1.
the testicles. A predictable use of the word, balls was first used as a euphe-mism in Renaissance England, later becoming a standard, if coarse synonym.
2.
rubbish, nonsense. This use of the word, except perhaps as an exclamation, is surprisingly acceptable in middle-class speech (in such phrases as 'it's all balls'), considering its derivation.
► 'He was awarded a campaign medal, "but I didn't go to get mine. I wasn't inter-ested; I thought it was all balls".' (Falklands war veteran quoted in the Ob-server review of The Fight for the Malvi-nas by Martin Middlebrook, 9 April 1989)
3.
courage, nerve. In this sense the word may now be applied to women in spite of the anatomical inconsistency.
4.
a mess. This is a modern, mainly mid-dle-class shortening of balls-up, usually found in the phrase to 'make a balls of it/something'.
5.
American
money, dollars. This usage was recorded in the later 1990s among adolescents. Bollers and boyz are British synonyms.
► 'It's gonna cost you mucho balls.' (Recorded, teenager, North London, June 1995)

Contemporary slang . 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • balls up — (vulgar sl) 1. To make a muddle or mess of 2. To throw into confusion (ballsˈ up noun; ballsedˈ up adjective) • • • Main Entry: ↑ball * * * ˌballs ˈup [transitive] [ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Balls — steht für Edward Balls (* 1967), britischer Politiker Big Balls, deutsche Band Harvey Balls, kreisförmige Ideogramme Balls (Fernsehsender), Sportkanal auf den Philippinen Siehe auch Ball Bals …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • balls — [ bɔlz ] noun IMPOLITE 1. ) uncount confidence and the ability to deal with dangerous or difficult situations: NERVE: It takes balls to quit your job like that. 2. ) plural TESTICLES 3. ) uncount nonsense have someone by the balls to have… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • balls-up — balls ups N COUNT If you make a balls up of something, you do it very badly and make a lot of mistakes. [BRIT, INFORMAL, RUDE] He was in danger of making a real balls up of this. Syn: pig s ear …   English dictionary

  • balls-up — n [singular] BrE informal something that has been done very badly or not successfully ▪ Nigel made a complete balls up of the arrangements …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • balls — testicles, early 14c., from plural of BALL (Cf. ball) (n.1). See also ballocks. Meaning courage, nerve is from 1928. Balls to the wall, however, probably is from WWII Air Forces slang, from the ball that topped the aircraft throttle, thrust to… …   Etymology dictionary

  • balls — vulgar slang ► PLURAL NOUN 1) testicles. 2) courage; nerve. 3) (treated as sing. ) Brit. nonsense. ► VERB (balls up) ▪ bungle …   English terms dictionary

  • balls — alls, interj. nonsense. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • balls-up — alls up n. something badly botched or muddled; a foul up. [British] Syn: ballup, cockup, mess up, foul up. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • balls — [bôlz] interj. Slang nonsense * * * …   Universalium

  • balls-up — ► NOUN Brit. vulgar slang ▪ a bungled task or action …   English terms dictionary

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