[Lexicog] bull, bear markets

[fieldworks_support at SIL.ORG]

I just now found this explanation at wordorigins.org

Bulls and Bears


These two stock market terms appear in the early 18th century. Bear was the
first to appear, first recorded in 1709, and originally referred to the
practice of selling stock one does not yet own for delivery at a future
date with the expectation that the price would fall in the meantime,
enabling the speculator to buy the stock at a lower price. Such speculators
were called bear-skin jobbers after the phrase sell the bear's skin before
one has caught the bear. Gradually, the term took on the meaning of being
generally pessimistic about stock prices.


Bull appears a few years later, in 1714, and was almost certainly
influenced by bear.


Steve White, Jaars language software support
704-843-6337, 1-800-215-7813





Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/