pulled

English translation: the bull is being pulled

12:39 Nov 26, 2020
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Modern American detective novel set in 1702
English term or phrase: pulled
A wagon is pulling a bull or a bull is pulling a wagon?
"Matthew stepped aside to get out of the way of a passing wagon that pulled a buff-colored bull to market."
Or is it some kind of humor?
Alexander Alexandrov
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:39
Selected answer:the bull is being pulled
Explanation:
A bull is tethered to the wagon. Traditional means of transporting the livestock.
Selected response from:

Michael Sarni
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:39
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Michael!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +6the bull is being pulled
Michael Sarni
4 +2something (an ox / a draught horse) was pulling the cart containing the bull
Tony M


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
the bull is being pulled


Explanation:
A bull is tethered to the wagon. Traditional means of transporting the livestock.

Michael Sarni
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:39
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you very much, Michael!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, also a possibility.
6 mins

agree  Sheila Wilson
42 mins

agree  Sarah Lewis-Morgan: In this part of the world is is also quite common to put an animal in a sort of cage which is towed behind a vehicle while the animal walks.
2 hrs

agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
2 hrs

agree  Clauwolf
4 hrs

agree  Britta Norris
20 hrs

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: seems like a strange use of "pull" if the bull is trotting along behind a wagon? ON Nassau St NYC? Highly unlikely to have a bull like that in a city?
2 days 4 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
something (an ox / a draught horse) was pulling the cart containing the bull


Explanation:
If you just want to take an animal to market, normally, you might expect to drive it on its own four feet; so if it is put into a cart, it is probably so it arrives in better condition, possibly also avoid its losing weight on the journey. Note that if it is a prize bull, you might not want to risk having it loose on the road, since it could become difficult to control if it got excited.
Note that the more docile oxen are used for draught purposes; you would never use a bull for that!

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Note added at 19 hrs (2020-11-27 08:08:36 GMT)
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Asker, it definitely does NOT mean that 'the bull was pulling the waggon' — the EN syntax would be grammatically quite wrong for that.
The only doubt, due to the slightly odd expression used, is if the bull was IN the wggon or being pulled along behind it. I favour the former interpretation, simply because of the use of the verb 'to pull'; if the bull were merely being 'towed' behind the waggon, I wouldn't expect to use that verb, which to me somehow seems to suggest he was being dragged along — both unlikely and improbable!

Tony M
France
Local time: 17:39
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 260

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daryo: I think this makes more sense.
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Daryo! I feel it is guided by the use of the verb 'to pull'... but it remains slightly ambiguous

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: I agree that "pull" does not imply a bull being tethered to a wagon, but rather that it is IN the wagon being pulled in NYC!//surely "pull" is quite simply wrong verb with " bull"?mule & cart mentioned earlier//pull> haul= transport IN a cart or lorry
2 days 3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yvonne! I agree, although they were still driving cattle through the streets of Paris to Les Halles in... 1974!!! / Tend to agree with the odd use of 'pull', but cf. its quite common usage for 'haul', which with 'haulier' implies cart / Exactly!
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