(in the British Army) exaggerated zeal, esp for ceremonial drill, cleaning, polishing, etcUsually shortened to: bull
verb-shits, -shittingor-shitted
(intr)to talk in an exaggerated or foolish manner
to talk bullshit to
Derived Formsbullshitter, noun
usage
This word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
"eloquent and insincere rhetoric," 1915, American English slang; see bull (n.1) + shit (n.), probably because it smells. But bull in the sense of "trivial or false statements" (1914), which usually is associated with this, might be a continuation of Middle English bull "false talk, fraud" (see bull (n.3)).
v.
by 1942, from bullshit (n.). Related: Bullshitted; bullshitting.
