slang or colloq. [a. Turk. bosh empty, worthless; the word became current in Eng. from its frequent occurrence in Morier’s novel Ayesha (1834), which was extremely popular, especially in the ‘Standard Novels’ edition 1846.]
1. Contemptible nonsense, ‘stuff’; trash; foolish talk or opinions.
1834. Morier, Ayesha, I. 219. This firman is bosh—nothing. Ibid., I. 283. The parts [of the Koran] which are taken from the Christian Bible are divine…. [Ghe other parts] are spurious. They are bosh—nothing.]
1850. P. Crook, War of Hats, 19.
| A little rape and incest now and then, | |
| Some nameless bosh—seduction—or crim. con. |
1863. Kingsley, Water Bab. (1878), 174. And were pure bosh and wind.
1864. Miss Yonge, C’tess Kate, xii. 212. Don’t talk bosh out of your books.
1885. Illustr. Lond. News, 23 May, 539/2. I can write something that is not bosh.
2. int. Stuff and nonsense! Humbug!
1852. Dickens, Bleak Ho., xxi. Bosh! It’s all correct. Ibid., xxiv. Bosh, what’s my head running against!
