🐴 Stubborn as a Mule: The Tale of Tenacious Traits 🐴
Stubborn as a mule - Singularly obstinate. No one knows why mules in particular have been singled out for this quality, but they have, for centuries. “Contrary” and “obstinate” are other adjectives used in the simile, which became current in the early 1800s and remains so. The same is meant by the adjective mulish.
Related and Similar Terms
- Obstinate as an ox 🐂: An equally bullheaded comparison, minus the sharp horns.
- Headstrong 🏇: Relating to someone who’s likely to bolt at the mention of compromise.
- Persistent as a pigeon 🕊️: Not a conventional simile, but just watch those urban pigeons strutting for crumbs.
- Unyielding as stone 🗿: The geological version, adding an element of inertia to the concept.
Synonyms 🅾️
- Inflexible
- Adamant
- Uncompromising
- Intransigent
Antonyms 🚫
- Malleable
- Flexible
- Agreeable
- Caved-in
Humor-Filled Quotes 🤣
“Men no longer listen, and women chat on. Oh, how stubborn, not just the mules anymore!” - A sign in the last gentlemens’ coffee house
Proverbs 🦉
- “You can’t wake a person who is pretending to sleep.” - Navajo proverb (Okay, not directly tied to mules, but equally inflexible behavior.)
- “A tree that refuses to sway in the wind will break.” - Chinese proverb
Suggested Readings 📚
- Literature: “Mule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life” by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston - A thus-missing-upon-play with a stubborn, but ultimately banter-filled tableau.
- Books: “The stubborn mule” (Clifford’s Puppy Days) by Norman Bridwell - Yes, even Clifford has dived into the world of mulishness.
- Songs: “Mule Skinner Blues” - A yodeling country phase, because nothing sings on mulishness like country tunes.
- Poetry: “Mule” by Caroline Knox: A homage of verse to this most crittered idiom.
- Movies: “Cold-Mountain” starring — a stubborn Jude Law who ultimately portrays the literal mule’s spirit in human form.
### Which of these synonyms best fits "stubborn as a mule"?
- [x] Unyielding as stone
- [ ] As responsive as Pavlov's dog
- [ ] Flexible as a willow
> **Explanation:** "Unyielding as stone" captures the essence of mule-like stubbornness. None of the others claims equivalence to obstruction.
### What's the literary counterpart to "stubborn as a mule"?
- [ ] As fidgety as a ferret
- [ ] As secretive as a squirrel
- [ ] Of temper as obstinate as Doctor Grumpy 🧔♂️
- [x] Headstrong
> **Explanation:** "Headstrong" describes someone who's inflexible, very much in line with our noble mule passage.
### True or False: "Persistent as a pigeon" is a conventional idiom.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation**: Not a mainstream idiom. Persistent as pigeons may be, those philosophical crumb-thieves haven't coined it yet!
As you wander the stubborn paths of vernacular labyrinths, remember: Words hold but spirit! Each mule, metaphor, a step closer to understanding the human essence.
~ Ethel M. Legendspinner
