When “Bully” Was a Fine Fellow

In the early 16th century, the word bully was a term of endearment, probably stemming from Dutch boel, meaning “lover.” Shakespeare used bully to mean “a fine fellow” or “good chap.” When President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the presidency as a bully pulpit, he meant that it was an excellent means for getting a message across. Over time, bully also went through a process of pejoration, developing the sense of a “blustering, swaggering fellow,” perhaps associated with bull the powerful animal, or bull as in “a man who protects a prostitute.” This is part of a complete episode.