cobblers
Britishplural noun
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rubbish; nonsense
a load of old cobblers
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another word for testicles See testicle
interjection
Usage
The use of cobblers meaning "nonsense" is so mild that hardly anyone these days is likely to be offended by it. Most people are probably unaware of its rhyming-slang association with ``balls'', and therefore take it at its face value as a more colourful synonym for ``nonsense''. The classic formulation "a load of (old) cobblers" seems to be particularly popular in the tabloid press
Etymology
Origin of cobblers
C20: from rhyming slang cobblers' awls balls
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nor need they feel beholden to cupcake makers, cobblers, tax preparers or manufacturers of cheap lingerie.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
With his aging rockstar looks, Francis says in darker moments he wishes he had taken the advice of some of the old cobblers who taught him the trade.
From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025
Removing the top of the box, he revealed two carved wooden forms known as shoe lasts that cobblers use to make their wares.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025
Ravidass was born in the 14th century in a village near Varnasi, India, to a family of cobblers and tanners who belonged to the then-untouchable or leather-working caste known as “chamars.”
From Seattle Times • May 29, 2023
He set aside special days to honor individual states and nations and to fete distinct groups of workers, including cobblers, millers, confectioners, and stenographers.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
