bosh

Noun

bosh (uncountable)

1. (chiefly Britain) Nonsense.
   • 1868, Shirley Brooks, For A' That And A' That:

     Tho' hundreds cheer his blatant bosh,
     He's but a goose for a' that.

   • 1884, George Gissing, chapter 17, in The Unclassed:

     But you know very well you're talking bosh," exclaimed Abraham, somewhat discomfited. "There must be government, and there must be order, say what you like.

   • 1912, Edwin L. Sabin, With Carson and Frémont, Chapter VIII:

     Oliver saw Kit Carson wink at the lieutenant and Lucien Maxwell, as the speech reached them, and it was evident that these three leaders did not believe the Indian tales. Consequently he himself decided that the reports of "evil spirits" awaiting were all bosh.

   • 1955, C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, Collins, 1998, Chapter 5,

     "Why, it's absolute bosh from beginning to end."

Interjection

bosh

1. (chiefly Britain) An expression of disbelief or annoyance.
   • 1904, H. G. Wells, chapter 1, in The Food of the Gods:

     "Bosh!" said the Vicar, rejecting the hint altogether.

Noun

bosh (plural boshes)

1. The lower part of a blast furnace, between the hearth and the stack.

Noun

bosh (plural boshes)

1. (Britain, chiefly Norfolk, slang, archaic) A figure.

   to cut a bosh — "to make a figure"

Interjection

bosh

1. (Britain) An expression of speedy and satisfactory completion of a simple or straightforward task.
   • 2001, rec.games.computer.ultima.dragons, Usenet‎:

     It's a ~3 foot double lead with two 5-pin DIN plugs on one end and a big gameport-sized-n-shaped plug on the other. One end into the gameport, t'other plugs into the back of your keyboard. Bosh, job done.

   • 2001, uk.local.lincolnshire, Usenet‎:

     My father registered with these people a few months ago, and all his calls dried up. He was also of the opinion that he shouldn't need to register not to be disturbed, and he's pretty ruthless on the 'phone when he wants to be . . . but eventually he grew tired of it . . . bosh. Job done.

   • 2003, uk.rec.cars.misc, Usenet‎:

     Wrong, get a LPG diesel. More power than either, better economy than either, bosh, job's done.

Related terms

• mbush