Talk:Cock

Slang meanings
00|Graham &#9786;]] | 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  &#9786; | 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 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)

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)

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?

Birds are sexy. To 'not give a hoot' is a polite way of saying 'to not give a fuck', and 'the bird is the word' is emblematic of the f-word. Birds and sex go hand in hand, or should I say, paw in paw.

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
Please capitalize the headlines.

88.148.222.65 (talk) 18:48, 3 July 2010 (UTC)
 * ✅ here - thanks! TFOWR 18:54, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

Please remove religion section
The article related to the religion thing was deleted at Articles for deletion/Sacred cockfight. Accordingly it no longer makes sense to have it in a dab page. --173.15.201.97 (talk) 02:26, 24 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done Vacation nine 03:45, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request
Another meaning of "cock" is a stopcock. Please add this link to the page. --69.159.62.113 (talk) 00:54, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

There are stopcocks that also have cock in the name. Silcock (or sillcock) is another word for an outside spigot (Tap_(valve)). "Test Cocks are for use to facilitate backflow assembly testing or as isolation valves for gauges or small equipment lines." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.69.162.25 (talk • contribs) 19:25, 20 May 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 January 2022
The term is also used as a short form for Ballcock, Petcock or Stopcock in the plumbing industry. The links should therefore be added. Source: i.e.   217.149.170.28 (talk) 01:00, 13 January 2022 (UTC)


 * ❌ - It is unclear where you want this. Please specify an area of the article. SoyokoAnis  -  talk  13:15, 13 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I would put them in the section Other uses, due to lack of a better one. Description: Ballcock: Float valve; Petcock: shut-off valve; Stopcock: different types of flow control valves. They may also be put in one line (if allowed by policy), in that case the discription could be "types of valves (short form)" Feel free to change it to meet the required style.--217.149.175.40 (talk) 21:52, 14 January 2022 (UTC)


 * ✅ here Instead of all three, I've followed how List of valves mentions it. hemantha (brief) 09:43, 15 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks! --217.149.169.29 (talk) 00:46, 17 January 2022 (UTC)