Why is it called malarkey?

It is called malarkey meaning nonsense because of early 20th century American slang with Irish-American roots and the creative wordplay of cartoonists. The word malarkey first appeared in American English in 1922 in the work of Thomas Aloysius Dorgan, known as Tad Dorgan, a famous cartoonist for the New York Evening Journal who invented or popularized many slang terms. Dorgan needed a colorful, funny-sounding word for nonsense that could be printed in family newspapers without profanity, and malarkey fit that need. Etymologists believe the word comes from the Irish surname Mullarkey or Malarkey, which was used as a stereotypical Irish name in New York and Boston Irish-American communities and became associated with Irish blarney, meaning exaggerated tall tales, storytelling, and boastful talk. Calling something malarkey was like saying that's typical Mullarkey talk, meaning that's exaggerated Irish storytelling or nonsense. Another theory suggests it came from Greek malakia meaning softness or nonsense, but Irish surname origin is more accepted. The word sounds inherently funny and slightly absurd with its hard k sounds, making it memorable and suitable for comedic dismissal. It was called malarkey because it was a euphemism for stronger vulgar terms like bullshit, allowing people to call out lies politely. Its playful sound helped it survive as a humorous way to say nonsense for over a century.