Word Study
balderdash
CIDE DICTIONARY
balderdash, n. [Of uncertain origin: cf. Dan. balder noise, clatter, and E. dash; hence, perhaps, unmeaning noise, then hodgepodge, mixture; or W. baldorduss a prattling, baldordd, baldorddi, to prattle.].
- A worthless mixture, especially of liquors. [1913 Webster]"Indeed beer, by a mixture of wine, hath lost both name and nature, and is called balderdash." [1913 Webster]
- Senseless jargon; ribaldry; nonsense; trash. [1913 Webster]
balderdash, v. t.
To mix or adulterate, as liquors. [1913 Webster]
"The wine merchants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even
mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime." [1913 Webster]
mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
balderdash, n. senseless talk or writing; nonsense.
Etymology
earlier = 'mixture of drinks': orig. unkn.
THESAURUS
balderdash
absurdity, amphigory, babble, babblement, bibble-babble, bilge, blabber, blather, bombast, bombastry, bosh, bushwa, claptrap, double-talk, drivel, drool, eyewash, fiddle-faddle, fiddledeedee, flummery, folderol, fudge, fustian, gabble, galimatias, gammon, gibber, gibberish, gibble-gabble, gobbledygook, highfalutin, hocus-pocus, hot air, humbug, jabber, jargon, malarkey, mumbo jumbo, narrishkeit, niaiserie, nonsense, pack of nonsense, palaver, prate, prattle, rant, rigamarole, rigmarole, rodomontade, rot, rubbish, skimble-skamble, stuff and nonsense, stultiloquence, trash, trumpery, twaddle, twattle, twiddle-twaddle, vaporing, wafflingROGET THESAURUS
balderdash
Unmeaningness
N meaninglessness, unmeaningness, scrabble, empty sound, dead letter, vox et praeterea nihil, a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, nonsense, utter nonsense, gibberish, jargon, jabber, mere words, hocus-pocus, fustian, rant, bombast, balderdash, palaver, flummery, verbiage, babble, baverdage, baragouin, platitude, niaiserie, inanity, flap-doodle, rigmarole, rodomontade, truism, nugae canorae, twaddle, twattle, fudge, trash, garbage, humbug, poppy-cock, stuff, stuff and nonsense, bosh, rubbish, moonshine, wish-wash, fiddle- faddle, absurdity, vagueness, boilerplate, clich_¬, unmeaning, meaningless, senseless, nonsensical, void of sense, inexpressive, unexpressive, vacant, not significant, insignificant, trashy, washy, trumpery, trivial, fiddle-faddle, twaddling, quibbling, unmeant, not expressed, tacit, inexpressible, undefinable, incommunicable.For further exploring for "balderdash" in Webster Dictionary Online