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Meaning of "Irish bull" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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PRONUNCIATION OF IRISH BULL

Irish bull play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF IRISH BULL

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Irish bull is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES IRISH BULL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Irish bull

An Irish bull is a ludicrous, incongruent or logically absurd statement, generally unrecognized as such by its author. The addition of the epithet Irish is a late addition. The "Irish bull" is to the sense of a statement what the dangling participle is to the syntax. A jarring or amusing absurdity is created by hastiness or lack of attention to speech or writing. Although, strictly speaking, Irish bulls are so structured grammatically as to be logically meaningless, their actual effect upon listeners is usually to give vivid illustrations to obvious truths. Hence, as John Pentland Mahaffy, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, famously observed, "an Irish bull is always pregnant", i.e. with truthful meaning. The "father" of the Irish bull is often said to be Sir Boyle Roche, who once asked "Why we should put ourselves out of our way to do anything for posterity, for what has posterity ever done for us?". Roche may have been Sheridan's model for Mrs Malaprop. Yogi Berra and Samuel Goldwyn were famous American mis-speakers. They are the Mother Geese of American Irish bulls.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE IRISH BULL

Irish
Irish coffee
Irish elk
Irish Free State
Irish Gaelic
Irish moss
Irish pipes
Irish potato
Irish Republic
Irish Republican Army
Irish Sea
Irish setter
Irish stew
Irish terrier
Irish water spaniel
Irish whiskey
Irish wolfhound
Irishism
Irishman
Irishmen

WORDS THAT END LIKE IRISH BULL

bull
dull
full
gull
hull
in full
lull
mull
null
papal bull
permabull
pull
seagull
semibull
shoot the bull
skull
stale bull
stingbull
the Bull
to the full

Synonyms and antonyms of Irish bull in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «Irish bull» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF IRISH BULL

Find out the translation of Irish bull to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of Irish bull from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «Irish bull» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

爱尔兰公牛
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

toro irlandés
570 millions of speakers

English

Irish bull
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

आयरिश बैल
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الثور الأيرلندية
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

ирландский бык
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

touro irlandês
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

আইরিশ বেল্জ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

taureau irlandais
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Lembu jantan
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Irish Stier
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

アイルランドの雄牛
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

아일랜드어 황소
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Irish bull
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

bò Ailen
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

ஐரிஷ் காளை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

आयरिश गुलाम
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

İrlandalı boğa
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

toro irlandese
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

irlandzki byk
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Ірландський бик
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

taur irlandez
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ιρλανδική ταύρος
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Ierse bul
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

irländsk tjur
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

irsk bull
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of Irish bull

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «IRISH BULL»

The term «Irish bull» is used very little and occupies the 161.686 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Rarely used
24
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «Irish bull» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of Irish bull
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «Irish bull».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «IRISH BULL» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «Irish bull» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «Irish bull» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about Irish bull

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «IRISH BULL»

Discover the use of Irish bull in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to Irish bull and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Book of Irish Bull: Better Than All the Udders
As he said himself, he only went to London once and then he only got as far as Dublin". Here is some of the best of Irish humor.
Des MacHale, 1991
2
Glimpses of Irish Life. (Two farces, illustrative of phases ...
ing”, and though several years have since elapsed, I still distinctly remember, even verbally, his definition of an “ Irish Bull”. _ “An Irish Bull”, said Mr. Lover, “is a conglomeration of ideas, and these ideas, rushing together to the mouth, and ...
J. D. FITZGERALD (of Limerick.), 1860
3
Language, Custom and Nation in the 1790s: Locke, Tooke, ...
The 'Irish bull' - the type of verbal blunder supposed to be typical of Irish speech - is, the Essay shows, an invention of the English, falsified evidence of the stupidity and inferiority of the Irish people. This is suggested in the first chapter, in which ...
Susan Manly, 2007
4
Essay on Irish bulls, by R. L. and M. Edgeworth
What the, irish bull has in common witft, the golden, leaden, or papal bull, we leave to the judgment of the sagacious * reader, having done pur duty by warning him of that treacherqu^ analogy of sound, which might put ' hi;n, , wpon a . wrpn|j  ...
Richard Lovell Edgeworth, 1803
5
The Irish Bull God: Image of Multiform and Integral Masculinity
Contemporary western culture is seeking a new paradigm of manliness relevant to both men and women, at all stages of life.
Sylvia Brinton Perera, 2004
6
Essay on Irish Bulls
Whether this cry be ever raised by mistake, when no irish bull has broken loose, may, perhaps, be questioned by thole, who have observed, that every dog is not mad which falls a victim to the ignorance or malice of the populace : but let us ...
Richard Lovell Edgeworth, Maria Edgeworth, 1803
7
The Michigan Alumnus
For example, when Professor Mahaffy, former Provost of Dublin University, was asked the difference between an Irish bull and any other kinds, he answered that "an Irish bull is always pregnant". Mahaffy knew how to take the bull. Eric 5.
‎1992
8
Irish History of Civilization
There, in a mixture of Spanish and English pleasures, successive tethered bulls were tormented by heroic young men on foot, and then the bulls, frothing mad, were set upon by purpose-bred Irish bull-dogs. These canines looked like a ...
Donald Harman Akenson, 2005
9
A Cultural History of the Irish Novel, 1790–1829
... the rhetoric which accompanied it, which bore much larger questions of identity , sameness and difference along in its tide. The suggestion is that these contradictory impulses result in a Union which is a species of Irish bull: Fact andfiction 37.
Claire Connolly, 2011
10
John Bull's Other Island
Shaw’s story is rife with such ‘beyond opinions’, as an Anglo-Irish Protestant, a Dubliner in London, and a socialist living in the aftermath of the industrial revolution.
George Bernard Shaw, 1994

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «IRISH BULL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term Irish bull is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Update: Girl, 6, recovering from facial surgery after being attacked by …
However, neighbour Martin Collis, aged 54, from Pretoria Road, said: “I don't know, but people have told me it was an Irish Bull Terrier. I'm just ... «Stoke Sentinel, Jul 15»
2
IEDR allows two-letter .ie domain names to be registered for the first …
The Simpsons co-creator saves gay Irish bull via crowdfunding campaign. Life · The Simpsons co-creator saves gay Irish bull via crowdfunding ... «Siliconrepublic.com, Jun 15»
3
'Helpful' if Shorten fronts inquiry: PM
Promoted · Benjy the gay Irish bull may like cows after all. Promoted ... Promoted · Benjy the gay Irish bull may like cows after all. Promoted. «Yahoo7 News, Jun 15»
4
Benjy the gay Irish bull may like cows after all
Benjy, the gay bull saved from the slaughterhouse in an international campaign, is exploring new options in his new home. Photo by: ARAN. «IrishCentral, Jun 15»
5
Benji The "Gay" Bull May, In Fact, Be A Bisexual Bovine
Moooove over, gentlemen: “gay” bull Benjy may have developed a taste for the udders after all. The curly-haired Irish bull—who was ready for ... «NewNowNext, Jun 15»
6
'Over-enthusiastic' Irish bull breaks his penis
An "over-enthusiastic" prize Irish bull has been replaced after he broke his penis. The poor animal was sold off after suffering the eye-watering ... «New York Daily News, May 15»
7
Cow and horse who are best friends start new life in Norfolk
The Irish bull was destined for the slaughterhouse after showing more interest in breeding with other bulls than cows, but was saved when a ... «Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, Apr 15»
8
Drunkards: Stop insulting the Irish
A little drunken Irish bull will cover any mistake. Oh, wait. That's supposed to be "blarney." Well, never mind. Just get a little green around the ... «azcentral.com, Mar 15»
9
Wales v Ireland Six Nations 2015: Tony Copsey hits out at Neil …
No wonder the sight of the three feathers shirt is like a red rag to Irish bull Neil Francis when you watch the time the Emerald Isle motormouth ... «WalesOnline, Mar 15»
10
The Simpsons co-creator and saviour of 'Benjy the bull' Sam Simon …
As well as the hit US TV series The Simpsons, Sam hit global headlines in recent months for saving the life of a gay Irish bull called Benjy. «Irish Independent, Mar 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Irish bull [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/irish-bull>. May 2024 ».
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