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balls about

(chiefly, British, vulgar, slang) To engage in a lot of activity with many unwanted or unnecessary details.

ˈbɔlz əˈbaʊtDocumented since 1970s1970sGen Xhistorical128 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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2 definitions
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Born ~1970 · no dated citations yet
1970BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

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UKAvoid at work
#1·Apr 26, 2026UK

(chiefly, British, vulgar, slang) To engage in a lot of activity with many unwanted or unnecessary details.

This is just comfortable. I don't want no ballsing about with rows and noise in flats.
Heard in the wild
  • “The pressure waves reflect back and forth through all five balls about ten times, although dispersing to less of a wavefront with more reflections.”

  • “Kim = Competitive Christmas!](https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0921kkr) Save Follow Share 7 November 2019 19 minutes Available for over a year In this episode Joe and Kim chat to former contestant Ed Balls about THAT salsa, and we hear from Michelle and Giovanni direct from their training room.”

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UKAvoid at work
#2·Apr 26, 2026UK

(chiefly, British, vulgar, slang) To bullshit; to speak or act as a joke or with no real point.

All that ballsing about for nothing.
For parents

Balls about means: To bullshit; to speak or act as a joke or with no real point.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It carries sexual or vulgar connotations; not alarming on its own but worth understanding the context your teen heard it in. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

balls about means: To bullshit; to speak or act as a joke or with no real point.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself.

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