Phrases & SayingsPlaces and regional language
not within a bull's roar
Also: within a bull's roar
Nowhere near, or roughly within hearing distance in the positive form.
In a sentence
Their estimate was not within a bull’s roar of the final cost.
Where it came from
Australian evidence records “not within a bull's roar” as a regional nickname or label. Its distribution and currentness vary, so it should not be presented as nationwide usage.
- First recorded
- 1930s
- Initial era
- 1900–1949
- Where used
- Australia-wide