{"id":10504,"date":"2022-11-16T22:54:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10504"},"modified":"2022-11-16T22:55:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:37","slug":"bulls-eye-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/bulls-eye-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Bull's Eye \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to compliment a friend who made an unexpectedly good business decision? You could say that they \u201chit the bull's eye<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the fascinating term \u201cbull's eye<\/strong>\u201d and shows you how to add it to your vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

A \u201cbull's eye<\/strong>\u201d (also sometimes spelled \u201cbullseye<\/strong>\u201d) refers to the tiny center of a target<\/u>. Hitting the bull's eye is difficult and requires great skill.<\/p>\n

The phrase bull's eye is used in two senses \u2014 literally and metaphorically<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The term \u201cbull's eye\u201d can refer to the center of a target. When you say someone hits the bull's eye, it can mean they aimed well and hit the bull's eye in a sport like shooting, archery, or darts<\/u>.<\/li>\n
  • A figurative bull's eye is an excellent decision, unexpected success, or a well-placed comment that \u201chit the mark.<\/u>\u201d It can also refer to an entirely correct statement<\/u>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    In these cases, you can say that someone \u201chit a bull\u2019s eye\u201d or exclaim, \u201cbull\u2019s<\/strong> eye!\u201d.<\/p>\n

    Example Usage<\/h2>\n

    Most people use \u201cbull's eye\u201d as a metaphor. These example sentences illustrate how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \u201cI already knew he was a smart fellow, but I\u2019m still surprised how successful Thomas\u2019 recent investment decisions have been. He hit the bull's eye<\/strong> when he invested in Green Energy for Tomorrow<\/em>!\u201d<\/li>\n
    • \u201cYou hit the bull's eye<\/strong> when you said Stacy acts rudely and arrogantly to hide the fact that she\u2019s very insecure.\u201d<\/li>\n
    • \u201cWow, you hit the bull's eye<\/strong> again this round! I had no idea you were so good at darts.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Origin<\/h2>\n

      The center of a target first came to be called a \u201cbull's eye<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cbullseye<\/strong>\u201d in the early 1800s<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      The name may reflect the fact that the center of a target is about the size of a bull\u2019s eye or that it physically resembles one.<\/p>\n

      It is also interesting to note that coins called bull\u2019s eyes<\/strong> were in circulation at the time, along with hard candies<\/strong> with the same name. The term \u201cbull's eye\u201d could refer to either of these.<\/p>\n

      A winning shot, one that \u201chit the bull's eye,\u201d came to be known as a bull's eye itself a few decades after the middle of a target acquired this name. The earliest reference to a winning shot as a bull's eye dates back to 1857<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Nobody knows precisely when \u201cbull's eye<\/strong>\u201d and \u201chitting a bull's eye<\/strong>\u201d took on symbolic meanings, but it is clear why.<\/p>\n

      The bull's eye is the hardest to hit. Doing so requires significant skill or luck. Novice archers or darts players are far more likely to hit the outer rings of the target than the bull's eye.<\/p>\n

      You achieve a much sought-after goal when you hit the bull\u2019s eye. The phrase \u201chitting a bull's eye\u201d has the same meaning as an idiomatic expression.<\/p>\n

      Phrases Similar to Bull's Eye<\/h2>\n

      Is the term \u201cbull's eye\u201d not quite right? Phrases with similar meanings include:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Hit a nerve <\/strong>\u2014 an expression used to describe a comment that hit the metaphorical bull's eye and made someone angry or upset.<\/li>\n
      • A recipe for success <\/strong>\u2014 instead of saying someone\u2019s business idea hit a bull's eye, you can also use this expression.<\/li>\n
      • Hit a home run<\/strong> \u2014 another sports metaphor with the same meaning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Phrases Opposite to Bull's Eye<\/h2>\n

        Complete failure<\/strong> is the opposite of hitting a bull's eye. You can use the following expressions about failure:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • A total flop.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • A bust.<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • [Something] went up in smoke.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

          The correct saying is \u201cbull's eye<\/strong>.\u201d Something has been successful if you have \u201chit a bull's eye<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

          Ways People May Say Bull's Eye Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

          The phrase \u201chitting a bull's eye<\/strong>\u201d is overused. Save the expression for situations that were a complete success.<\/p>\n

          Acceptable Ways to Phrase Bull's Eye<\/h2>\n

          You can tell someone they \u201chit a bull's eye\u201d if they achieved success or made a poignant remark that perfectly described the situation. If you feel like bragging, you can also say you hit the bull's eye.<\/p>\n

          Of course, you can also use \u201cbull's eye\u201d to refer to the center of a target or a winning shot that hit the bull's eye.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Are you looking for a way to compliment a friend who made an unexpectedly good business decision? You could say that they \u201chit the bull's eye.\u201d This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the fascinating term \u201cbull's eye\u201d and shows you how to add it to your vocabulary. Meaning A \u201cbull's eye\u201d (also sometimes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10504"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10506,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10504\/revisions\/10506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}