Why is cow called beef, and pig called pork...

[dolo amber]

Deer is venison...But chicken is chicken, lamb is lamb, and duck is duck (etc)?

They should sort this stuff out already. It's very confusing. :crazy:

[sundog]

1. because you have invoked the wrath of the gods by posing such questions

you will now slowly go mad searching for the answers

[miss_kitty]

2. Steers are also called 'beef'

and a sheep is called 'mutton'.

:shrug:

[Generic Other]

3. French had better table manners than Anglo Saxons

French ate pork and beef and the natives ate cow and pig.

[VespertineIconoclast]

13. This ties into what you were saying --

This website discusses the origins of the words in relation to the classes of the people.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmuttonpork.html

-VI

[tjdee]

4. Nope, chicken is "hen", lamb is "calf"....

Duck is still duck though!

[trof]

20. Lamb is calf? Kid, maybe?

Calf is veal.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. But why are checken and duck fowl and everything else OK?

[GOPisEvil]

6. Speciesism!!!!

:grr:

[johnnie]

10. Good one

:rofl:

[Misunderestimator]

7. *rimshot*

:rofl:

[carpetbagger]

15. chickens are gallitas you make pollo from. n/t

[Beware the Beast Man]

8. Ahem...Poultry?

Commoner... :eyes:

[yewberry]

9. The food forms are from the French

If memory serves, after the Noman conquest the upper classes spoke mostly French and a lot of our "food words" come from Fench. Those eating the food ate beef, venison, poultry or pullet, pork, salmon, pigeon, mutton--all words from French. The lower classes (ie the English-speaking people who worked with the actual animals) retained the English forms.

Duck was probably called canard at the table, but I don't know why that hasn't held on so well.

And sorting English out? Good luck!

edit: "loin" is not an animal!

[VespertineIconoclast]

11. You have a great memory!

Here's a website to back you up -- just look under word history:
http://www.answers.com/beef

I usually love to answer random questions like this. :)

-VI

[yewberry]

17. Thanks!

I had the good (?) fortune to take a combined class in advanced structure (grammar) and history of English in college. The professor was a complete lunatic genius, and a lot of strange information still sticks with me.

(Thanks for the link--lots to see there!)

[VespertineIconoclast]

19. No problem.

You have to love that strange information that stays with you. :)

-VI

[dolo amber]

12. Well now see, THAT makes sense

Thanks! :yourock:

[yewberry]

18. Glad to be helpful!

If I had a :puffingupchest: smilie, I'd use it here!

[terrya]

14. Why is Soylent Green people?

God, that makes me cry. :cry:

[Deja Q]

16. Hmmm. We have cock, mutton, and oh hell, duck.

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

[RetroLounge]

21. It all tastes like squirrel to me...

RL