quatsch means nonsense, rubbish, foolish speech or writing. It carries an Arena rating of 1752, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, quatsch ranks #351 of 13,276 for Funniest Words, #605 of 13,276 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #657 of 13,276 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,212 of 13,276 for Most Satisfying to Say.
Why “quatsch” is a great word
Foolish, trivial, or nonsensical speech or writing. From German *Quatsch*, of uncertain origin, but often linked to the verb *quatschen* ("to talk nonsense"); attested in English from the beginning of the 20th century. Unlike "bullshit," which implies a deliberate deception, or "gibberish," which denotes pure unintelligibility, *quatsch* suggests the merely inane, the harmless drivel produced without malice. It is the empty prattle of a corporate mission statement, the earnest but absurd theory of an uncle after his third drink, or the cheerful filler in a politician's speech—the comforting sound of a human mind idling in neutral, a white noise that fills the air without ever threatening to mean anything.
Etymology
From German Quatsch. Attested in English from the beginning of the 20th century.
noun
- Nonsense, rubbish, foolish speech or writing.““Quatsch,” said Onkel Heinrich.
“My dear,” protested Tante Else, forced at last to notice these comments.
“I say it is quatsch,” said Onkel Heinrich with a volcanic vehemence startling in one so trim.”
Words closest in meaning
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