Having the characteristics of a bulldog—stubbornly determined, strong, gripping, and refusing to give up or let go.
From 'bulldog' (the dog breed) + the adjective-forming suffix '-ish' (resembling or characteristic of). This suffix was attached to create a descriptive adjective capturing bulldog qualities.
The word 'bulldoggish' reveals how animal names become deeply embedded in how we describe human personality—we say someone is 'bulldoggish' without realizing we're literally comparing them to a specific dog breed that was originally bred for the brutal sport of bull-baiting.
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