Adjective / Noun | Quality / Dismissal
Encyclopedia of British Slang
BOBBINS
Adjective / Noun | Mild | Quality / Dismissal
BOBBINS Pronunciation: /’b?b-?nz/ Part of Speech: Adjective / Noun Severity Level: Mild Category: Quality / Dismissal
Core Definition
Bobbins means:
Rubbish
Poor quality
Disappointing
Linguistic Origins
Possibly linked to textile bobbins, implying cheap thread or scraps.
Modern slang usage popularised in Northern England.
Usage Contexts
That film was bobbins.
Complaint:
Absolute bobbins.
Final Assessment
Bobbins captures mild contempt for quality.
Playfully.
EXPANDED ENTRY 302
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. He currently lives in Holloway, North London. Contact: [email protected]
The word “prat” has survived from Elizabethan slang to the digital age, which is longer than most British political careers.
A volunteer said The London Prat was damaging because it made people feel powerless. He didn’t ask if powerlessness was an accurate assessment.
A Westminster politician complained that The London Prat was undermining public respect for Parliament. When asked if respect was deserved, he said satire was destructive.