If you've been on the Internet recently, you may have seen a headline featuring the word 'bollocks'.
It's not the most common word in major newspapers, but two incidents have given the insult some increased prominence.
When journalist John Waters stormed out of a podcast recording with Eamon Dunphy, he bluntly told the broadcaster: "You're a bollocks. You're a f***ing bollocks."
Transport Minister Shane Ross, meanwhile, is reported to have called the Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath an 'out and out bollocks' during a row in the Dáil canteen.
Comedian David O'Doherty took to Twitter to look for an expert opinion after the unexpected prominence of the word:
Hey @susie_dent Where does ‘bollocks’ come from? Sounds French. Like balleaux?
— David O'Doherty (@phlaimeaux) May 18, 2018
A few days later, Countdown's 'Dictionary Corner' lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent responded:
Am I too late? Bollocks used to be ‘ballocks’, dating right back to the Anglo-Saxons (the word not the bollocks). It’s related to ball and was completely neutral - just as intestines were otherwise known as ‘arse-ropes’.
— Susie Dent (@susie_dent) May 21, 2018
So next time you hear the word used, you can point out that bollocks has a 'completely neutral' origin - although it will surely continue to offer up some colourful headlines.
