I say "cock", you say "male barnyard fowl"

[pne]

In general, I use British words when talking to Amy, but there are a couple I'm unsure about...

Specifically, for a male hen, whether to use "cock" or "rooster", and for the implement you use to remove pencil marks, whether to use "rubber" or "eraser". In each case, I think the first word of each pair is more British, but it has an undesirable slang meaning in the States, so I'm not sure whether it would be a good idea to learn that word, only to be laughed at later. (As I was in biology class so many years ago for asking for "my rubber" back.)

It's a pity when words get effectively displaced from use (as, for example, it's probably nigh impossible to use "gay" in the sense of "merry"; I imagine that for nearly all English speakers, the "homosexual" meaning is the prominent one), but I imagine the pragmatical approach will be to use (globally) less offensive/risqué words even if they're (locally) not the most appropriate word.

Comments

[swelegant.livejournal.com]

If there's more than one name for an object/animal, I think it would be a great idea for you to teach Amy both names.

I remember when I was about eight years old I used to read a lot of American teen magazines. In one, there was a section comparing British and American words and phrases and it was a real moment for me, because the American books and magazines I read started to make a lot more sense. I think it would be cool if she had that understanding before she started reading books by herself.

I found that when I read old kids books like Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Mallory Towers/St Claire's I picked up a lot of old-fashioned terminology that isn't used much, if at all, anymore. If you're keen for her to learn things like that, they're a good place to start.

As an aside, in Australia, the word "gay" has taken on another meaning. Teenagers often use it as a response to something they find distasteful/objectional, e.g. "That's so gay". And there's an icecream bar called Gaytime, but I'm not sure if they sell it anymore.

That's so gay

[pne.livejournal.com]

As an aside, in Australia, the word "gay" has taken on another meaning. Teenagers often use it as a response to something they find distasteful/objectional, e.g. "That's so gay".

That usage seems to have some currency in the States, too, judging by what I read on the Internet. Though there are a fair number of people who object to this usage of the word (on similar grounds to using, say, "retarded" to mean merely "objectional" rather than something like "learning at a slower pace").

Re: That's so gay

[ladyortyger.livejournal.com]

That usage seems to have some currency in the States, too

Yes, very much so. And you are right, a fair number of (enlightened) young people find this objectionable and strive to tell people they should not do it (much like with 'retarded.')

[sovereigna.livejournal.com]

As an aside, in Australia, the word "gay" has taken on another meaning. Teenagers often use it as a response to something they find distasteful/objectional, e.g. "That's so gay".

Agreed. I'm SO sick of hearing that! Why can't they come up with things that aren't offensive?? Oh wait, they're teenagers, that's their job :S.

[sovereigna.livejournal.com]

I was raised by two brits in Australia, and was taught rooster and rubber, but I switched to eraser after getting comments every time I said it also.

The thing is, you're going to get different ways of saying things. I repeatedly got in *trouble* when living in Sydney for calling the street directory the Refidex and permanent felt pens Nikko's - but that was what we had always called them on the Sunny C.

No matter what you call things, there's always going to be another way. So I'd just decide on what you feel most comfortable with. If you're worried about the traditional british english, adopt the words you're happier with. She'll hear the other terms as she grows up and will be able to make the choice for herself whether she uses what you taught her or she picks up the other.. it's the way of the world :)

(I know, stating the obvious :P)

[noidd.livejournal.com]

It really doesn't matter imho. She'll hear both and use whichever more more common around the people she uses.

fwiw tho, I would *never* use "cock" (unless I was trying to be funny). I would use "cockrell" (Spelling)?

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

cockerel

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Why do people always single out gay in laments like these? It was an overworked word before (meaning everything from "colourful" to "dissolute"), already had pejorative meanings (see previous), and came from an overcrowded field. We weren't exactly short of other words for "merry" before 1950, but it was hard to find a short, snappy word for "homosexual" that wasn't a vulgar insult.

There are more useful words I'm sorry to see go, like unique, random, or technically. (I've found youngsters using the latter to mean precisely the opposite of what I've always used it to mean. Confusing as hell!)

[elgrande.livejournal.com]

I've heard "gay" from German youngsters in the negative meaning described in an earlier comment.

Your cock/rubber examples remind me that I once met someone who used "rammeln" to mean "to work/study hard" and he claimed it was normal in his region.