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Glite Dictionary
to get bullocky

to get bullocky

9.9
To become angry and refuse to change when challenged
  • phrasal verb
  • Australian
translation icon : ponerse agresivo
  • Whenever the topic of overtime comes up, he tends to get bullocky and refuses to compromise.

Examples

  • She warned her team not to get bullocky during the negotiation process.

  • Don't get bullocky with me!

  • If you get bullocky about every detail, progress will be slow.

  • She tends to get bullocky when she's tired.

  • If you get bullocky during the meeting, it will be hard to reach an agreement.

  • He tends to get bullocky when people challenge his opinions in discussions.

  • Whenever she feels cornered, she might get bullocky and defend her point stubbornly.

Synonyms

to get claws out
vsto get bullocky
  • Informal
1 8.8

To become suddenly aggressive and ready to fight back

become stubbornly aggressive when challenged rather than only reacting quickly

Antonyms

compliant
31 5.1

Willing to follow rules or do what other people want

passiveness
1 5.6

A habit of accepting what happens without acting

Surface Forms

get bullocky infinitive
getting bullocky present participle
gets bullocky third person singular
got bullocky past
got bullocky past participle

Morphology

get + bullocky

The construction 'get + adjective' is a transparently productive pattern meaning 'become X', so a learner who knows 'get' and the adjective could infer a change of state. However, 'bullocky' is dialectal/rare and its sense ('proud, boastful') does not fully predict the specific pragmatic meaning 'become aggressive or stubborn' without exposure, so the relation is only partially clear.

Etymology

Get bullocky may come from the word bullock, a young bull that can be very stubborn or may run at things when angry. So when someone 'gets bullocky' they act like that animal—angry or refusing to change—and the phrase means 'to become aggressive or stubborn'.