Bully Beef

The name “bully beef” was used primarily by British and British colonial soldiers for canned corned beef. Most sources indicate that the name came into use during World War I when troops noticed the words bouilli boeuf (French for “boiled beef”) on the cans. However, an Australian source says the term derived from the canned salt beef supplied from Booyoolee Station to men working in the outback in the 1870s. The workers called this ration “Booyoolee beef,” which was shortened to bully beef.