bullshit

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-
2. Proto-Germanic*bulô
3. Old Englishbula
4. Proto-Germanic*bulô
5. Old Norseboli
6. Middle Englishbole
7. Englishbull
8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰā-
9. Proto-Germanic*bō-
10. Middle Low Germanbôlen
11. Old Frenchbouler
12. Old Frenchbou
13. Middle Englishbull
14. Englishbull
15. Proto-Indo-European*sek-?
16. Proto-Indo-European*skey-
17. Proto-Indo-European*skeyd-
18. Proto-Indo-European*skéydt
19. Proto-Germanic*skītaną
20. Proto-Germanic*skitiz
21. Proto-West Germanic*skiti
22. Proto-West Germanic*skittjā
23. Old Englishsċitte
24. Old English*sċite
25. Middle Englishschite
26. Englishshit
27. English todaybullshit

From bull (“male cattle”) and bull (“lie”) + shit. Figurative use as a noun referring to useless or untrue information is attested from the 1910s.

First known use, by meaning

• from 1980s Statements made without regard for their truth value.