# Origin of 'Bull' and 'Bear' terms

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 27, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310 "2005-04-27T03:16:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![s\_p\_trader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@s\_p\_trader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/s_p_trader)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310/1 "2005-04-27T03:16:03Z")

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The origin of the terms ‘Bull’ and ‘Bear’ markets are based on the methods that each animal uses to fight.

A bull lowers his head and, in a thristing movement up, attempts to pierce the body of the other animal. A rising stock market is called a ‘Bull’ market.

A bear swipes with his paw in a downward motion: a falling stock market is called a ‘bear’ market. It has nothing to do with ‘short selling’ as outlined in Cecils repsonse.

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**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310/2 "2005-04-27T06:07:36Z")

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This sounds very much like an after-the-fact construction. Cite?

Oh, and please include a link to the column you’re commenting.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310/3 "2005-04-28T01:21:49Z")

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Welcome to the Boards, **S&P\_trader**. It’s customary to include a link to Cecil’s column so that others may read along. It’s as simple as cutting and pasting like this [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_260b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_260b.html)

I’m a person interested in words, phrases, and language in general, and I think that Cecil got it right. He can show where the terms come from in the early 1700’s, with written cites–proof. If you can predate that with anything, the world of etymology will praise you.

A few learned sites with cites:

> **[Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com?date=20000419)**
>
> Committed to publishing great books, connecting readers and authors globally, and spreading the love of reading.

> **[World Wide Words: Bulls and bears](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bul1.htm)**
>
> Do the stock-market jargon terms 'bull' and 'bear' derive from the names of famous banking houses?

These are written by people who write our dictionaries for a living and do this as a profession.

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**Author:** ![oceaneros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7bcc69/32.png) [@oceaneros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oceaneros)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-bull-and-bear-terms/301310/4 "2005-04-28T14:41:46Z")

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I’ve also heard from other brokers (not etymologists) that the term ‘bullish’ comes from ‘buy low sell high’ = blsh. Don’t know just thougt it is another interesting possibility.