What does 'malarkey' really mean?
By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza
Twice during Thursday's vice presidential debate, Joe Biden used the word "malarkey" in response to answers given by his opponent, GOP nominee Paul Ryan.
Biden loosely defined "malarkey," crediting his Irish heritage for it, while also referring to Ryan's responses as "a bunch of stuff."
But what kind of thing exactly is malarkey?
Merriam-Webster defines "malarkey" as "insincere or foolish talk."
Synonyms include balderdash, coswallop, humbuggery and poppycock.
The trusty Urban Dictionary gives us a better sense of how Biden may have been using the term.
Malarkey, according to the crowd-sourced site, is "Irish-American for bullsh*t."
Why did Cenk LOVE Joe Biden's debate tactics?
Writing in the academic journal Western Folklore, Cornell comparative literature professor William Sayers explains that the precise origin of the term "malarkey" is unknown, but there has been speculation that the etymology may date back to the Greek word "malakia," meaning softness.
The word was popularized by the American cartoonist T.A. Dorgan, who also popularized the words "hard-boiled" and "kibbitzer."
(Photo from Getty Images)
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SIBob
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Malarkey is making more out of that comment than it actually was.
- 7 months ago
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SIBob
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dogrescuemom9
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I read that "malarkey" was named after a Civil War soldier of the Irish Brigade who increased the number of enemy soldiers he killed every time he talked about it. It didn't really come into play in the American slang vernacular until the 1930's.
- 7 months ago
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dogrescuemom9
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KSC1206
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It's a polite way of saying "Bullsh*t"! Which is what mostly came from Ryan's mouth!
- 7 months ago
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KSC1206
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El_Pap
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Actually the term malarkey was based roughly on an 1800's French botanist Jean Baptiste Lamarck whose theories on evolution were disparaged by his peers at the time. Today his ideas have new-found credence; maybe the meaning of malarkey should also be revised.
- 7 months ago
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El_Pap
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Murphy831
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I remember the term as a kid. My dad used it all the time. "Holy Malarkey". "You're full of Malarkey". "Dont give me any Malarkey"."That's a lot of Malarkey". It was always understood as BS and as Irish as it gets.
- 7 months ago
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Murphy831
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patmcdonald
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it means you best get your hip waders and put them on
- 7 months ago
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patmcdonald
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ProStudent
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At first VP Biden said "stuff".
I knew what Joe meant but I thank Ms. Raddatz for the clarification.I've now adopted "Stuff" as code for the back half of BS. Sounds better than Poo and will remind the Wingers of the Joe vs Puppy debate.
;) - 7 months ago
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ProStudent
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ajn465
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Why all the confusion? Of course the Vice President simply wanted a TV friendly way of saying the word Romney and Ryan have inspired in us so many times. Col.Potter on MASH would have used mule muffins or horse hockey, but we all call it bull s&!#!
- 7 months ago
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ajn465
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njrobbins
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V.P. Biden, bless Him, has said in one word, a plethora of a description that represents EVERYTHING the GOP has to offer the majority of the people in our Nation:MALARKEY!
- 7 months ago
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njrobbins
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woodslivin01
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Being from a good ole Irish family, I heard it said both ways growing up.
Rock on Joe, you absolutely were " number 1" in that debate. - 7 months ago
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woodslivin01
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oldf4rt
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NOBODY who was watching said, "Huh? What's malarkey?" Everyone knows what he meant.
- 7 months ago
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oldf4rt
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wrldtrvlr3341
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The statement Ryan made about elected officials determining women's reproductive rights instead of the courts as in Roe vs Wade, was more than malarkkey, it was pure manure.
- 7 months ago
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wrldtrvlr3341
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martim7
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I agree with the Urban Dictionary Definition. Everything Lying Ryan said is Bullocks!
- 7 months ago
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martim7
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mybodymyright
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What does malarkey really mean
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091113072329AA8oZzg
- 7 months ago
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mybodymyright
