Meaning & use
John Bull
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A cartoon figure, often a stout, plain-spoken man in a waistcoat, used as a symbol of England and the English character.
Grammar: A proper name, with no article: John Bull appears in the cartoon.
Patterns
- John Bull as a symbol
- a John Bull figure
Cartoonists often draw John Bull as a stout man with a bulldog.
The poster showed John Bull standing proudly beside a ship.
He enjoyed the role of John Bull in the village pageant.
proper nounproperold-fashioned
The English people or the English character, considered in a typical way.
Grammar: Used as a collective symbol: John Bull will not like higher taxes.
Patterns
- John Bull will not like something
Editorials once warned that John Bull would not accept the new tax.
John Bull, as the saying went, was suspicious of foreign ways.
The magazine claimed to speak for John Bull.
Common combinations
- a John Bull figure
- The statue shows a John Bull figure in a waistcoat.
- John Bull and his bulldog
- The cartoon depicts John Bull and his bulldog.
- John Bull and Uncle Sam
- The poster pictured John Bull and Uncle Sam.
- the spirit of John Bull
- He praised the spirit of John Bull.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: John Bull or Uncle Sam?
John Bull vs Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam symbolizes the United States, whereas John Bull symbolizes England.
Practice
Which figure, often drawn with a bulldog, is a cartoon symbol of England?
Choose one answer.
John Bull is England's cartoon symbol. Uncle Sam is American and Marianne is French.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “John Bull”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.