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bull in a china shop
Slang Dictionary

bull definition


  1. n.
    nonsense; bullshit. : Don't give me that bull! I won't buy it.
  2. tv. & in.
    to lie to or deceive someone. : Stop bulling me!
  3. n.
    a police officer; a private detective or guard. : Here come the bulls. Get out.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

bull in a china shop

An extremely clumsy person, as in Her living room, with its delicate furniture and knickknacks, made him feel like a bull in a china shop. The precise origin for this term has been lost; it was first recorded in Frederick Marryat's novel, Jacob Faithful (1834).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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