Bobbins means: crap, rubbish, something worthless or nonsensical.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. 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.
bobbins
(Lancashire, Manchester, slang) crap, rubbish, something worthless or nonsensical.
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Which are also lovely! I do miss big nonsense days at a hotel in a nice dress though - with or without the attached Catholic Bobbins
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BlueskyMay 2026
Can someone explain to me like I’m 5 why we have to hand wind bobbins and sewing machines can’t just be designed to use the a spool of thread as a bobbin? Or have bobbins hold as much as a spool of thread?
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 26, 2026US
(Lancashire, Manchester, slang) crap, rubbish, something worthless or nonsensical.
Don't take this the wrong way, my friend, but I've never heard such complete and utter bobbins in all my life.
For parents
Bobbins means: crap, rubbish, something worthless or nonsensical.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. 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
bobbins means: crap, rubbish, something worthless or nonsensical.. 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. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: drugs
Heard in the wild
“Which are also lovely! I do miss big nonsense days at a hotel in a nice dress though - with or without the attached Catholic Bobbins”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Can someone explain to me like I’m 5 why we have to hand wind bobbins and sewing machines can’t just be designed to use the a spool of thread as a bobbin? Or have bobbins hold as much as a spool of thread?”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "bobbins" (B)
boba liberalbobarbobbarbobbasheelybobbejaan spannerbobbery packbobbishBobbittizeBobbitt procedurebobblebobbleheadBobby
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