▁a ▁similar ▁effect ▁produced ▁the ▁term ▁" I r ish ▁b ull ", ▁which ▁is ▁partly ▁cont empt uous ▁and ▁partly ▁hom age . ▁ ▁However , ▁as ▁the ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁points ▁out , ▁the ▁ep ith et ▁" I r ish " ▁is ▁a ▁more ▁recent ▁addition , ▁the ▁original ▁word ▁b ull ▁for ▁such ▁n ons ense ▁having ▁been ▁trac ed ▁back ▁at ▁least ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁expression ▁Irish ▁b ull ▁was ▁well ▁known , ▁but ▁writers ▁were ▁express ing ▁res erv ations ▁such ▁as : ▁ ▁' But ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁cruel ▁in just ice ▁to ▁poor ▁P addy ▁to ▁speak ▁of ▁the ▁genu ine ▁" b ull " ▁as ▁something ▁distinct ly ▁Irish , ▁when ▁count less ▁examples ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁kind ▁of ▁bl under , ▁not ▁a ▁wh it ▁less ▁start ling , ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁elsewhere .' ▁▁ ▁The ▁passage ▁continues , ▁present ing ▁Scottish , ▁English ▁and ▁French ▁spec im ens ▁in ▁support . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁" He ' ll ▁regret ▁it ▁till ▁his ▁dying ▁day , ▁if ▁ever ▁he ▁lives ▁that ▁long ." ▁– ▁" Red " ▁Will ▁Dan ah er , ▁in ▁The ▁Qu iet ▁Man ▁" If ▁I ▁could ▁drop ▁dead ▁right ▁now , ▁I ' d ▁be ▁the ▁happ iest ▁man ▁alive ." ▁– ▁Samuel ▁Gold w yn , ▁movie ▁producer ▁( 1 8 8 2 – 1 9 7 4 ) ▁" Al