cobblers: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal, Slang (British), potentially vulgar.
Quick answer
What does “cobblers” mean?
Cobbler's plural: Shoemakers who repair footwear. Cockney rhyming slang plural: "Nonsense" or "lies," from "cobbler's awls" rhyming with "balls" (testicles).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Cobbler's plural: Shoemakers who repair footwear. Cockney rhyming slang plural: "Nonsense" or "lies," from "cobbler's awls" rhyming with "balls" (testicles).
A forceful, dismissive exclamation to reject a statement as untrue or ridiculous. Can refer to a dessert (fruit cobbler) in the plural, but less common. The slang sense dominates modern British informal usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The slang meaning "nonsense" is almost exclusively British. In American English, 'cobblers' is primarily understood as the plural of 'cobbler' (the shoemaker) or the dessert.
Connotations
In British slang, it carries a mild-to-moderate vulgar connotation due to its rhyming slang origin. It is less offensive than the word it rhymes with but is still informal and potentially impolite.
Frequency
High frequency in UK informal speech (slang sense). Very low frequency in US English for the slang sense; medium frequency for the dessert sense.
Grammar
How to Use “cobblers” in a Sentence
[That's/It's] + (a load of/utter) + cobblersto talk/spout + cobblers[Subject] + is/are + cobblersVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Highly inappropriate unless in a very informal British team setting to dismiss an unrealistic idea.
Academic
Inappropriate.
Everyday
Common in British casual conversation among adults to express strong disagreement or disbelief.
Technical
Not applicable.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cobblers”
- Using it as a singular noun (e.g., 'a cobbler' meaning a lie). Using it in formal writing. Assuming Americans will understand the slang meaning.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal and can be seen as mildly impolite or blunt, but it is generally less offensive than many other slang terms for 'nonsense'. It should be avoided in formal situations.
Using it to mean 'nonsense' will likely cause confusion. Americans will probably think you are referring to shoemakers or the dessert. It's best to use 'nonsense' or 'rubbish' instead.
No. The slang term meaning 'nonsense' is only used in the plural form 'cobblers'. 'A cobbler' refers only to a person or a dessert.
It comes from Cockney rhyming slang: 'cobbler's awls' (the tools of a shoemaker) rhymes with 'balls' (testicles). The phrase 'a load of old cobblers' was a euphemistic way of saying 'a load of old balls' (i.e., nonsense). Over time, 'cobblers' alone came to mean 'nonsense'.
Cobbler's plural: Shoemakers who repair footwear. Cockney rhyming slang plural: "Nonsense" or "lies," from "cobbler's awls" rhyming with "balls" (testicles).
Cobblers is usually informal, slang (british), potentially vulgar. in register.
Cobblers: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒb.ləz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːb.lɚz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “That's a load of old cobblers!”
- “He's talking complete cobblers.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cobbler trying to sell you shoes made of lies – that's a load of COBBLERS.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORTHLESS IDEAS ARE DEFECTIVE GOODS (like poorly made shoes).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would a British person most likely use the word 'cobblers'?