[Name of a character representing the English nation in Arbuthnot’s satire (see quot. 1712).]
1. A personification of the English nation; Englishmen collectively, or the typical Englishman.
[1712. Arbuthnot (title), Law is a Bottomless-Pit. Exemplify’d in the Case of the Lord Strutt, John Bull, Nicholas Frog, and Lewis Baboon. Who spent all they had in a Law-Suit.
1715. Pope, Key to Lock (sub init.), 7. If an honest believing Nation is to be made a Jest of, we have a Story of John Bull and his Wife.]
1778. J. Adams, in Fam. Lett. (1876), 350. France … assisted the American cause, for which John Bull abused and fought her. But John will come off wretchedly.
1788. W. Skerrett, in 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. X. 99. The French treat their slaves much better than we do … John Bull does not endeavour to conciliate their affections.
a. 1805. A. Carlyle, Autobiog., ix. 374. A horse-race we met with near Chester-le-Street. This we could not resist, as some of us had never seen John Bull at his favourite amusement.
1822. Byron, Vis. Judgm., lix. Here crash’d a sturdy oath of stout John Bull.
1899. J. Clifford, in Daily News, 3 Jan., 8/5. John Bull was now an Imperialist, and dwelt very much abroad.
attrib. 1824. Byron, Juan, XV. lxxi. Roast beef in our rough John Bull way.
b. (with a and pl.) An individual Englishman who exemplifies the national character; a typical Englishman.
1772. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 148. Both, like true John Bulls, fought with better will than justice for Old England.
1785. Boswell, Tour to Hebrides, 11. He [Johnson] was … at bottom much of a John Bull; much of a blunt true-born Englishman.
1815. Croker, in C. Papers (1884), I. iii. 71. The Prince of Bavaria … is, it seems, a great John Bull, and is highly flattered at being told that he speaks English like an Englishman.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xlvii. By some he was called … ‘a thorough-bred Englishman,’ by some ‘a genuine John Bull.’
2. A kind of game of chance played by a number of persons in which a coin is pitched so as to fall on a board divided into sixteen numbered compartments.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., III. vii. § 14. 205.
Hence John-Bullish a., typically English; hence John-Bullishness; John-Bullism, the typical English character; a typically English act, utterance or characteristic; John-Bullist, one who favors the English.
1802. Southey, Lett. (1856), I. 207–8. My taste has been always right English, and I grow more *John-Bullish every time I look into a newspaper.
1842. Blackw. Mag., LI. 188. This John Bullish stolidity is very high, and mighty.
1854. Hawthorne, Eng. Note-bks. (1883), I. 480. His face was intelligent, dark, pleasing, and not at all John-Bullish.
1895. Nation (N. Y.), 14 Nov., 345/3. The stolid *John Bullishness with which England refuses arbitration of the whole question.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, VII. xi. This true *John Bullism Lynmere had neither sense to despise, nor humour to laugh at.
1847. B. Barton, Select., etc. (1849), 32. A finer sample of John Bullism you would rarely see.
1851. J. H. Newman, Cath. in Eng., 25. Anglo-maniacs or *John Bullists, as they are popularly termed.
