Etymology

bully pulpit

bul·ly pul·pit

Today it means: An advantageous position from which to express one's views, especially a political office. Full definition →

First used early 20th c.
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The story

From bully (“(US, slang) very good”) + pulpit (“raised desk, lectern, or platform for an orator or public speaker”), said to have been coined by the United States President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) who used the term to refer to his office, by which he meant a terrific platform from which one can advocate an agenda: see the 1909 quotation.

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 20th c. An advantageous position from which to express one's views, especially a political office.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.