bull session

noun

, Informal.

1. an informal, spontaneous discussion.

bull session

noun

1. informal.
   an informal discussion, often among men

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull session¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull session¹

C20: from bull ²

Idioms and Phrases

An informal discussion, as in College students love late-night bull sessions about anything and everything, from professors to poetry to politics . This expression originally referred to an exchange of opinions and anecdotes, including stories of sexual prowess, by men, and then came to be used more broadly. [ Slang ; c. 1915]

Example Sentences

The three-hour bull session allowed the Republican nominee to launch fact-light tirades, including a riff about children undergoing sex change operations at school, along with boasts about his own toughness with adversaries such as China.

From Los Angeles Times

Their musings are as substantial as a late-night bull session in a college dorm room.

From Salon

The King who emerges from these pages begins as serious-minded but playful, a ladies man who likes a good party and an all-night bull session.

From Los Angeles Times

But Mandel has the stylistic elegance and emotional sympathy to make this more than merely an undergraduate bull session.

From Washington Post

Its mix of Twitter-centric water cooler talk, free-form bull session, and a deluge of takes “sprayed” by its hosts has pushed the podcast to outgrow its origin story.

From New York Times