subs. phr. (old).—Hard, stringy meat: formerly in general use: now mainly of prison rations. Also BULLY-BEEF.
1579. GOSSON, An Apologie of the Schoole of Abuse, 64 (ARBER). I vnderstand they are all in a fustian fume…. They haue eaten BULBIEF, and threatned highly, too put water in my woortes, whensoeuer they catche me.
1607. ROWLANDS, Diogenes Lanthorne, 8 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1873]. How lookes yonder fellow? what’s the matter with him trow? has a eaten BUL-BEEFE? there’s a lofty slaue indeede, hee’s in the altitudes.
1738–1819. WOLCOT (‘Peter Pindar’), The Rights of Kings, ode i., in Wks. (Dublin, 1795), II., 219.
| The cooks, | |
| Bluff on th’ occasion, put on BULL’S-BEEF looks. |
1782. WOLCOT (‘Peter Pindar’), Lyric Odes, No. 3, in Wks. (1809) I., 62. Yet thou mayst bluster like BULL-BEEF so big.
1860. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Season Ticket, x. Which look as cheap as BULL-BEEF at one cent a pound.
1868. BREWER, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 524. To look as big as BULL-BEEF. To look stout and hearty, as if fed on BULL-BEEF. BULL-BEEF was formerly recommended for making men strong and muscular.
1888. J. ASHTON, Modern Street Ballads, 61.
| For soon he will his trial take, | |
| And hard BULL-BEEF be munching. |
TO BLUSTER LIKE BULL-BEEF, verb. phr. (old).—To tear round like mad.
GO, SELL YOURSELF FOR BULL-BEEF! phr. (old).—Go to the devil!
AS UGLY (or AS BIG) AS BULL-BEEF, phr. (old).—Uninviting (or as ungainly) as bull-beef; as ugly (or as clumsy) as may be.
