The Difference Between Horseshit and Bullshit
By thomas on Jan 22, 2008 in English
The other day I was thinking about the words bullshit and horseshit. Where I am from, these words are used almost interchangably in situations where you think a statement or assertion is false, ridiculous, a lie, etc. I thought it was interesting that we have two very similar words to use in the same situation.
But then I thought about it some more and realized that they aren’t exactly the same. I wanted to share my thoughts about it and possibly get some feedback on whether or not the following applies to your understanding of these words.
At first I came to the (possibly wrong) conclusion that bullshit had a more broad application than horseshit. It could be situational as well as verbal, whereas horseshit couldn’t be.
For example, if you are angry at being forced into some situation against your will, such as having to wait in a long line, you can say “This is bullshit! I can’t believe it takes an hour to get a movie ticket.” Using horseshit here might be acceptable, but to my ears it sounds slightly unnatural.
When I think about my little brother, the difference is even clearer. My brother used to play Starcraft a lot. Sometimes something bad would happen in the game due to network latency – maybe a shuttle full of reavers gets killed because the game was slow to register his clicks. When this happened, he would slam his fist on the desk and shout, “F**king bullshit! I moved the shuttle away.”
Here, I think slamming your fist and shouting “F**king horseshit!” sounds completely unnatural. Only bullshit fits.
So is that it then? Is the difference between bullshit and horseshit that you can’t use the latter situationally? Not quite.
After some more thought, I imagined that my brother has had a minute to calm down after losing his shuttle full of reavers. He turns away from the monitor to look at me in disbelief. “Fucking horseshit. I moved that shuttle away,” he says shaking his head, inviting some sympathetic response from me. Yes, I saw you click away. It was the game/lag’s fault. Here, horseshit sounds completely natural to me.
This I think is the key. Bullshit is emphatic. You can shout it at the sky, fists shaking with rage.
Horseshit is softer. You might say it with disgust, disbelief or a dismissive tone, but you don’t scream it.
Don’t get me wrong. You can use bullshit in any situation where you use horseshit. Just not the other way around.
Do you agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Do you think this article is bullshit? Leave me a comment.
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I’ve heard horseshit used emphatically just as bullshit is used. I’ll agree that horseshit not as common as bullshit (at least here in Texas) but the two seem interchangeable to me.
peter | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
Perhaps there’s some regional variation. I don’t feel like I use either enough to be a good judge of subtle differences.
But note that “bullshit” can be a verb, as in “Don’t bullshit me.” I’m pretty sure you can’t say “Don’t horseshit me.”
Also, it may be significant that the Wikipedia page for horseshit redirects to the page for bullshit. :)
rikker | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
To me, horseshit sounds unnatural in any context.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use it in place of bullshit.
It must be a regional thing.
adjusting | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
It must be a regional thing – or Cow Person/Horse Person thing.
Growing up around both, the people with more cows would say bullshit and the horse huggers would say “horseshit”.
Both are interchangeable, it’s just that more people are familiar with Bullshit.
In the South, you can’t merely say “bullshit”, ‘bull’ must be drawn out.
“Booolshit” see, now your try it.
I wonder if we can get this vocablulary lesson introduced to the hooked on Phonics program?
Don
Don@AffiliateWatcher | Jan 31, 2008 | Reply
I think the root of this is in the actual shit. If you examine some real bull shit, then compare it to horse shit, the difference is obvious. Bull shit is runny, and much more nasty than that of a horse. Horse droppings are nearly dry, and a lot less messy. Bull crap is like a stinky mud pie.If you step in some bull doodoo it will definitely stick. Hence, the difference in usage had a basis in actuality even if no one knows the difference any more.
Tim E. | Feb 1, 2008 | Reply
I am searching for the Tom Hanks definitions of the difference between Bullshit and Horseshit… which I saw on his first “Inside The Actors Studio” interview.. I wish I could find it, but it was superb. To paraphrase: Bullshit was common, everyday, crap that we deal with… Horseshit is the Bullshit in life that is totally unnecessary.
Keith Conklin | Oct 28, 2008 | Reply
My understanding is that horseshit is a thing, idea or procedure of very little value, something worthless “I now have a cable modem. The old dial-up is horseshit.”
But bullshit is a deliberate attempt at deception, like somebody telling you something that’s not true. It can also be some intolerable situation.
BB | Oct 29, 2008 | Reply
lol this is bullshit…
None | Jan 5, 2009 | Reply
Your bullshit is horseshit!
RegularJohn | Apr 29, 2009 | Reply
I think we can differentiate between the phrases according to the experiences and contexts in which we have perrsonally used and heard the phrases. However, as far as when it is applied to what somone is saying I would offer that “bullshit” is information that is deliberatley a falsehood or spin on the truth by the original source (the orinal source is not necessarily the person quoting it, who might be ignorant of the mistake). “Horseshit” is applied more to an incorrect statement by the original source that is based on extreme ignorance, stupidty or the lazy acceptance of a widely believed fact that is total crap.
DR.Fox | Sep 27, 2009 | Reply
A COWorker and I were pondering this very topic not two days ago when it dawned on me that while “Bullshit” and “Horseshit” may in most cases be used interchaingably, it should be noted that when searching for the right term while in a corporate environment, it might be more accurate to use “Horseshit” when referencing something that hase come down directly from upper mgmt. as a horse is the taller of the two animals and therefore the shit has come from further up than “Bullshit” would, which is why “Bullshit” should be used with reference to first/lower level mgmt.
T.V.Bardue | Dec 12, 2009 | Reply
i was so delighted with your opus re, the difference between bullshit and horseshit, that i brought it to my wife’s attention. she said, after reading same , that the author had too much time on their hands…as do you (me!). i responded “bullshit!”.
gary dehmcke | Jan 24, 2010 | Reply
For me, and my pals, the difference lies in the context of the actions.
For instance: If my buddy, who can barely swing a golf club, tells me that yesterday, while playing golf in a head wind, that he knocked out a 300 yard drive I will call him a bullshitter and the story that he told is bullshit.
On the other hand, if my buddy was telling me that another guy we know, who can barely swing a golf club, told my buddy that yesterday, while playing golf in a head wind, that he knocked out a 300 yard drive then I will say the story is horseshit.
In both instances the guy who who claimed the 300 yard drive is a bullshitter (there is no such thing as a horseshitter). However, the story is either bullshit or horseshit, depending on how the story is recieved.
Extending these rules with the situation presented in the article. If you are angry at being forced into some situation against your will, such as having to wait in a long line, you can say correctly say: “This is bullshit! I can’t believe it takes an hour to get a movie ticket.”
However, if you are watching the above situation unfold near you (but for whatever reason you are not affected), or if the story was being recounted to you by another party then you would correclty say: “That is horseshit! I can’t believe it takes an hour to get a movie ticket.”
D-dawg | Mar 9, 2010 | Reply