Bulger, large; synonymous with [BUSTER].
Bulky, a constable.—North.
Bull, one who agrees to purchase stock at a future day, at a stated price, but who simply speculates for a rise in public securities to render the transaction a profitable one. Should stocks fall, the BULL is then called upon to pay the difference. See [BEAR], who is the opposite of a BULL, the former selling, the latter purchasing—the one operating for a fall, the other for a rise.
Bull, a crown-piece, formerly BULL’S EYE. See [WORK].
Bull, term amongst prisoners for the meat served to them in jail. Also very frequently used instead of the word beef. The costermonger often speaks of his dinner, when he has beef, as a “bit o’ BULL,” without any reference to its being either tough or tender, but he never speaks of mutton as “sheep.”
Bull-Beef, a term of contempt; “as ugly as BULL-BEEF,” “go to the billy-fencer, and sell yourself for BULL-BEEF.” Sometimes used to indicate full size of anything. “There was he, as big as BULL-BEEF.”
Bulldogs, the runners who accompany the proctor in his perambulations, and give chase to runaways.—University.
Bullet, to discharge from a situation. To shake the BULLET at anyone, is to threaten him with “the sack,” but not to give him actual notice to leave. To get the BULLET is to get notice, while to get the instant BULLET is to be discharged upon the spot. The use of the term is most probably derived from a fancied connexion between it and the word discharge.
Bullfinch, a hunting term for a large, thick, quickset hedge, difficult alike to “top” or burst through. Probably a corruption of BULL-FENCE, a fence made to prevent cattle straying either in or out.
Bull the Cask, to pour hot water into an empty rum puncheon, and let it stand until it extracts the spirit from the wood. The mixture is drunk by sailors in default of something stronger.—Sea.