The word 胡扯 is formed by combining two characters to create a vivid metaphorical image. The first character, 胡, originally referred to northern nomadic tribes and carries a historical connotation of something foreign, unreasonable, or wild. The second character, 扯, literally means "to pull" or "to tear". When fused, the term paints a picture of "wild pulling" or "reckless tearing", which is then applied to speech. Thus, the formation conceptually pulls the idea of chaotic, unrestrained action (胡) into the realm of verbal expression (扯) to figuratively mean talking nonsense, as if one's words are carelessly pulled out without order or truth.