Show the bull s eye why is the targets bulls eye so called this is one of the many in stances in our language where words have gained a higher status than that with which they started and have been promoted from the slang diction ary to the dictionary of respectable and current use bulls eye Is found the dictionary of the canting crew so far back as and was the vulgar word for the central ring of the target used as a mark for archers which was colored differently from the other rings this may have arisen from the ancient rounded shields cut out of ox hide and strengthened with a spike or central boss for this shield or target hence target was otter used as a mark itself when sheet glass began to be manu factored the thickened part where the tube had been attached was called the bullseye bulls eye then this term was successively ces applied to a lens of glass especially in a ship aside to the lens of the lantern to the lantern itself and finally to the central boss of a target |