The baloney the seller gave.

[vectra]

Hello,

In the book 'Idioms for everyday use' by Milada Broukal there are such sentences:
'The used car I bought for three hundred dollars was a lemon. My friends said I was nuts to believe the baloney the seller gave.'
I am wondering about the word 'baloney'.
Answers.com gives the following definition of the word:
something that does not have or make sense.
I feel the word is not very often used, and as we use the above book at the refresher course I am reading this year, I would like to be sure that my doubts are justified.
I would change the word for 'crap'.
Am I right regarding the word 'baloney'?

Thank you in advance.

 

[konungursvia]

It's a substitute for bullshit. Many substitutes share the same initial sounds: mierda > miercoles; shoot > shit; damn > darn. This may have to do with the perception that bologna meat is not "real" meat but a processed, cheaper alternative.

 

[Rover_KE]

I would change the word for 'crap'.

Depending on your audience, you might find claptrap a bit more polite.

Rover

 

[vectra]

I will definitely introduce the term you suggested. The audience consists of post graduate students, who teach at the university, and candidates of sciences in Physics, Maths, Computer Sciences and so on.

Depending on your audience, you might find claptrap a bit more polite.

Rover