malarkey

This term carries a playful, slightly old-fashioned tone, often used to dismiss a claim as deceptive or absurd without being overly aggressive. It suggests a sense of theatrical falsehood or exaggerated storytelling rather than a malicious lie. As an uncountable noun, it does not have a plural form and cannot be counted with numbers. To quantify it, speakers use partitive constructions such as a load of malarkey or a bit of malarkey.