# Is "Strong, like bull. Smart, like tractor." a movie quote? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131 "2004-07-14T20:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/1 "2004-07-14T20:17:51Z")
Digging around the web with Google, the only cite I can find for someone claiming it’s theirs is Tim McClure / Founder, President of Mythos Group on this page: [http://www.gsdm.com/who\_index/who\_fearless/who\_fearless.html](http://www.gsdm.com/who_index/who_fearless/who_fearless.html) However, Google brings up numerous references to “Strong, like bull. Smart, like tractor. Beautiful, like KV-2.” Nearly all seem to be copies of the same _How to insult someone_ pages. A few cite “Strong like bull, smart like streetcar” and “As strong as an ox, and as smart as two”. For those of you wondering, the KV-2 is a WWII tank, which probably pre-dates Mr. McClure… It’s pretty ugly, even for a tank: [http://www.nemo.nu/ibisportal/5pansar/5sidor/kv2.htm](http://www.nemo.nu/ibisportal/5pansar/5sidor/kv2.htm) Anybody know where “Strong, like bull. Smart, like tractor.” comes from, or what/who popularized it? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/2 "2004-07-14T20:21:49Z")
“Strong like bull” was a phrase used by Uncle Tonoose (Hans Conried) on the old Danny Thomas show “Make Room for Daddy.” Don’t know if it predates Uncle Tonoose. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/3 "2004-07-14T20:40:07Z")
The gals in a theatre group I once worked with used a variaiton of the phrase to motivate themselves to excercise and dance, so that they could be _“Strong, like bull. Graceful, like gazelle. Skinny, like boa constrictor.”_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/4 "2004-07-14T21:17:33Z")
Found it! On this site: [http://www.marjorielord.com/daddy.htm](http://www.marjorielord.com/daddy.htm) “298. Tonoose Needs Glasses guest stars: Hans Conried (Uncle Tonoose) Philip Ober (Dr. Edwards) In town for his physical examination, Tonoose demonstrates to Charley, Bunny and the kids that he is still “strong as a bull.” But the doctor does focus on one flaw, which upsets Tonoose terribly - he needs glasses. aired: 21-Jan-1963” Does anybody know if he (or someone) says the “smart like tractor” part? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/5 "2004-07-14T21:55:37Z")
In the military, I always heard it as “Strong like bull; smart like dumptruck.” But a search reveals only a porno site. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-strong-like-bull-smart-like-tractor-a-movie-quote/255131/6 "2004-07-15T17:03:38Z")
Eek! Thanks for searching, **Chefguy**. I hope you weren’t at work.