Codswallop

Posted by R. Berg on April 13, 2005

In Reply to: A LOAD OF CODSWALLOP posted by lindie ward on April 13, 2005

: I'm having difficulty remembering where I read this, but I was under the impression that codswallop referred to the stuffing that was used to artificially accentuate the contents a codpiece when it was worn by men with great panache during the 15th and 16th centuries. You could probably use the same expression for the socks that Nureyev used to make his tights look - well - so tight.
: Its meaning - exaggerated pretences that have no significant substance.

Oddly enough, the Oxford English Dictionary (1st ed.) doesn't have "codswallop." As for "men with great panache," I imagine that codpiece stuffing would be more sought after by a man with a not-so-great panache.

• Codswallop Steve E 13/April/05