take the bull by the horns

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

take the bull by the horns

Confront a problem head-on, as in We'll have to take the bull by the horns and tackle the Medicare question. This term most likely alludes to grasping a safely tethered bull, not one the matador is fighting in the ring. [c. 1800]

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