woo woo nonsense
- noun
- /wuː wuː ˈnɑːnsəns/
- Slang
:
tonterías pseudocientíficas
- The new book was criticized for its woo woo nonsense about miracle cures.
Examples
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She rolled her eyes at the woo woo nonsense being discussed at the dinner party.
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This forum has a strict policy against posting woo woo nonsense.
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That theory is just woo woo nonsense!
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Many people believe in woo woo nonsense without questioning it.
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She rolled her eyes at the woo woo nonsense being discussed at the dinner party.
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The new book was criticized for its woo woo nonsense about miracle cures.
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This forum has a strict policy against posting woo woo nonsense.
Synonyms
839
9.3
False or silly talk meant to trick and annoy people
578
2.5
Words or ideas that do not make sense
16
7.4
Untrue or silly talk that people should not believe
15
9.9
Silly talk that is not true
1
6.0
Things people say that are completely untrue or pointless
Something very silly and not true
Ideas that are not true and make no sense
Talk that is false and makes no sense
Unclear, complicated ideas that are hard to understand and not practical
How Unscientific
Surface Forms
Morphology
woo + woo + nonsense
Although 'nonsense' is transparent, the reduplicated form 'woo woo' is a slang/colloquial label for mystical or pseudoscientific beliefs and is not derivable from the ordinary verb 'woo' (to court). The overall meaning 'pseudoscientific/paranormal nonsense' is an idiomatic, culture-specific usage, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal constituents would not reliably infer this sense.
Etymology
Woo woo nonsense may come from the silly 'woo woo' sound people make to show ghosts or pretend magic, and the word nonsense means 'silly' or 'not true'. So the whole phrase means ideas that are 'not supported by evidence', such as paranormal or other unscientific claims.