Talk:Cock

Slang meanings

I think we can lose the slang meanings and dictionary definitions. -- Tarquin 11:33, 16 Nov 2003 (UTC)

• Let people expend their energy here. Anyway, there is something very Freudian about their obsession. Kingturtle 11:36, 16 Nov 2003 (UTC)
  • Please explain what is "Freudian" about an accurate disambiguation. Andy Mabbett 11:41, 16 Nov 2003 (UTC)
    • Quite so. Additionally, it would be incorrect to interpret them as only dictionary definitions; they are a legitimate link to an informative article about the penis. Despite what might be a popular belief with some, having such slang interspersed with links to other articles does not trigger some kind of mental regression to one's teenaged years in every individual that sets upon the article. Additionally, we should consider the hypothetical of an individual not actually knowing the proper name of the penis (or any term in question, really), and instead searching for the one(s) they do know, and turning up blank.
      
      That isn't to say that every word that can be remotely termed a synonym for a certain thing should receive a disambiguation entry for it, but certainly those that are into relatively mainstream usage need a clarification process if the synonymous entry that actually contains the information could be unreachable. -- 8:43, 04 Dec 2003 (UTC)
      • A lot of Freud's early work was on disambiguation, actually. 24.23.32.249 (talk) 22:21, 18 March 2009 (UTC)

I agree. 130.126.246.122 05:19, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Elephant in the room

It has occurred to me that this article has an elephant in the room. At first it seemed charmingly provincial to write an article on "cock" and not talk about the penis. But then, as I considered it, I think it is irresponsible not to. If I do a Google search for "cock", well over 99% of the results have nothing to do with any of the meanings discussed here. It seems that an article on any particular word should at least briefly cover the sense in which the word is most commonly used. We already offhandedly note that "rooster" was invented as a euphemism for "cock", but don't explain why, other than a link to Euphemism and to the Wiktionary. However, "cock" for "penis" is not really slang—that usage goes back to at least the 1600s, according to the OED, which does NOT term that sense "slang". Merriam-Webster labels it "usually vulgar" but vulgarisms are NOT slang. We already have extensive articles on Cunt, Fuck, and Asshole. Why not "cock" as well? Nohat 17:02, 2004 Mar 13 (UTC)

It's my understanding that the terms cock and cunt are bedfellows (so to speak) and that it seems highly unusual to have such a comprehensive entry for the Anglo-Saxon for vagine but relegate the equivalent word for penis to near the bottom of its own page. As far as I know, the meaning we have for the male bird comes from the meaning of penis, so it should certainly come before that. (I'm afraid I can't back this statement up, however!) -- 129.215.13.84 00:30, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

"Vulgarism"? I would have said "informal". It would seem pedantic/hyper-formal to me to say "penis" in most non-medical/non-legal contexts with friends. At Penis there is a link to an article about Stunt cocks. It seems odd to have an article about that with nothing about "cock" itself. I came here to research a claim that both "cock" and "cunt" came from Egyptian. The article on "Cunt" served that purpose excellently. This one is just a waste of time. --Hugh7 (talk) 01:10, 1 July 2010 (UTC)

I want to add that profanity is defined in terms of holiness, which is not really a neutral way to describe words. Nohat 08:07, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Slang is not only defined in terms of modernity: plenty of slang terms are also quite old. Whereas the words you have listed are (in your opinion) 'vulgarisms' they are also slang terms. Compare if you like Cockney rhyming slang and Pig Latin - both slang languages that are at least a century old. To say that the word 'cock' is a vulgarism for penis is POV - not everybody sees it that way. -- Graham ☺ | Talk 08:15, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Perhaps then vulgarism is not the best term, but although in certain edge cases slang refers to old usage like Cockney rhyming slang--Pig Latin is a language game, not slang--the common connotation of slang is that it is current and ephemeral. If we say cock is "slang" then we may give the impression that it's somehow a recent innovation, which it clearly is not. How can we avoid giving this misimpression? Nohat 08:29, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Sorry, the reason I changed the term from 'vulgarism' is simply that is doesn't fit the definition at vulgarism. I didn't realize I was walking into such a minefield. -- FirstPrinciples 02:32, Oct 20, 2004 (UTC)

Euphemism is the best I can think of this early in the morning! (By the way under languages I was going to list Polari instead of pig latin, but I couldn't remember how to spell it) -- Graham ☺ | Talk 08:34, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I can't think of a context where "cock" would be a euphemism; if anything it would be a dysphemism, no? People use it either because they don't know any better word (in which case it is a vulgarism in the sense of words used by the uneducated) or they use it to be controversial, offensive, or base. I'm not sure I can envision a context in which it would be used by "someone who knows better" in which they weren't trying to be dysphemistic. Is there a common usage of cock meaning penis which isn't a form of one of these two usage contexts? Nohat 09:09, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

If one does a google search, exactly like this; +kak +penis +"old high german" ... they will find a page that isn't cached, and cannot be accessed without being an authorized user [1] but that has a result description which starts as thus; For breeding purposes (sex) : (a) IE*kak- or *kok- ' male organ. I did this search because I have an etymology dictionary (Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English. Eric Partridge, 1958. ISBN-10: 0517414252 ISBN-13: 978-0517414255), which has a section giving a root word for another etymology (not for the mod. English "cock") as "kak" (pronounced 'cock') meaning "penis" in Old High German (OHG). So infact, it may not be a euphemism/dysphemism but an actual term for the anatomy in a dead variant of a foreign language. From the link above, it seems it is a Indo-European word generally (i.e. 'IE'). However, in the "Origins:" book referenced above, it is not under the etymology of penis or cock, but another word that I cannot for the life of me find anymore. Though it was 'kak' and it was noted as meaning 'penis' in an old Germanic dialect. Nagelfar 05:46, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Male chicken

I think that, as "cock" is the international English term for male chicken, that rooster should be moved here and renamed cock, with a single disambiguation for the second term. Otherwise, the article violates NPOV by conforming to American English instead of any of the other dialects who all reserve "rooster" to refer to a young cock. - Gilgamesh 06:30, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Lulz, young cock. xD - 217.120.69.19 (talk) 18:43, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Semi-protecting this page?

Should this page perhaps be semi-protected? There's just way to much vandalism going on here. Baszoetekouw 09:20, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

I agree, some wrote 'I suck big chubby'. Hehe. Funny. 66.81.190.185 22:47, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Semi-protection for a year would do only good things. No established Wikipedian would have the right to complain, and it'd save 300 vandalism reversions a year.--h i s ^{s p a c e} _{r e s e a r c h} 09:32, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

I was about to suggest this to see what people thought. LOL. Anyway, I've gone ahead and semi-protected it from new and unregistered users. Coincidentally, if there are other pages that I should know about, please drop me a note on my talk page. Thanks. :-) -- Joe Beaudoin Jr. ^{Think out loud} 23:48, 22 September 2007 (UTC)

Slang terms etc

It seems totally appropriate to have a link to penis from this article. It's not just "a slang term", it's the most common one in parts of the world. And it certainly does no harm having the link. Also, cocks. Stevage 06:18, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Use in Hamlet

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, "Cock" is used as a corruption of "God" by Ophelia in Act 4, Scene 5:

"Indeed, la, without an oath, I'll make an end on't:

By Gis and by Saint Charity, Alack, and fie for shame! Young men will do't, if they come to't; By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed. So would I ha' done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed."

Should this use be mentioned? -Not Diablo 09:32, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Please do not add nonsense to Wikipedia, as you did to Boston Red Sox. It is considered vandalism. If you would like to experiment, use the sandbox. Thank you. --Urzadek 13:55, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Why the fuck would you post that here, instead of on his user page? Fucking wiki-noobs... Chances are he/she won't even ever check here again. Idiot. 24.23.32.249 (talk) 22:17, 18 March 2009 (UTC)

Hell yes, cry more about it 3 years after they've posted! "Chances are he/she won't even ever check here again. Idiot." is particularly true! 81.101.118.73 (talk) 19:19, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

The truth about cocks and penises (etymologically speaking)

A penis is called a cock because it is said to resemble a bird, and because the rooster is a symbol of masculinity in some cultures. Similarly, in Spanish a penis is commonly called a pajaro (bird), a pavo (turkey), or a polla (chicken). Perhaps the most bird-like penises are those that tend to tilt or curve slightly southward when erect (similar to the natural curvature of a rooster neck and head), the pubic hair at the base of the penis could also be said to resemble the ring or collar of feathers displayed by some roosters. The large wattles (i.e. the fleshy sack) that form on both turkeys and some roosters can also be said to resemble a man's scrotum.

Really? I always thought it was called that because it's often erect in the morning, hence it's one of the first things a guy notices when he wakes up, and in that sense it's similar to the crowing of the rooster, back when rooster-crowing often served as a natural alarm c(l)ock. That analogy is a bit of a stretch, I realize, but it's what I initially thought was the etymology for cock as a slang term for penis.

Although the bird-like thing does make sense, actually. "Pecker" (wood pecker?) is another common slang term for the penis.

Interestingly enough, there are also bird-themed slang terms for women's breasts: "hooter" and "tit" come to mind. What is it about birds and private parts, I wonder?

Cock and Clock

Why is clock even in this ambig page? This is the first time I have ever seen Wiki try and coddle typos. I'm going to go on and delete it, lets not shame clocks with cocks. Inseeisyou (talk) 08:03, 12 October 2008 (UTC)

• It's about the word "cock" referring to part of a clock, three types are mentioned: balance cock, fly cock and back cock. —Snigbrook 11:45, 12 October 2008 (UTC)

what does it mean —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.234.163.29 (talk) 23:16, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

Northern England

Added- I've add the fact that it is a common form of address, especially around the north West of England, Bolton, Manchester etc. There is nothing sexual or "cheeky" about it in this context.Wizlop (talk) 08:46, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

I have removed it until it can be verified. Going purely from an original research perspective, I have never heard it. Regards, Woody (talk) 23:47, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Edit request from 88.148.222.65, 3 July 2010

{{editsemiprotected}}

Please capitalize the headlines.

88.148.222.65 (talk) 18:48, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

 Done here - thanks! TFOWR 18:54, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

Cock

Let's talk Cock. This would mean to talk about a rooster