British English or American English

Welcome to ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans, activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

ESL forum > Ask for help > British English or American English

British English or American English

mourisca

British English or American English

Dear colleagues,

the word "rooster"... is it BrE or AmE?

and the word "sweater"... is it BrE or AmE?

Thank you for your help.

16 Jul 2012

mourisca

thank you tmk939 Smile

in BrE which word can be used instead of rooster? Ermm

16 Jul 2012

maryse pey�

Hi dear,

It is COCK.

COCKEREL is for a young one.

16 Jul 2012

Apodo

Br E - Rooster

Cock has another (rude) meaning, so rooster is the best choice unless you are with a group of serious poultry breeders who won �t snigger at the word.

Br E speakers don�t usually use the word �sweater�.

16 Jul 2012

joy2bill

As Apodo says..keep with rooster for BrE in Australia. You could get weird looks with anything else.

17 Jul 2012

Apodo

Well, you can use a cock if you want to, but the editor of the Oxford Advanced Learner �s Dictionary has obviously led a very sheltered life if he/she failed to include that cock is a rather rude slang word for a man �s penis, and in some circles people would fall about laughing if you used that word. Best to avoid possible embarrassment I think.

For example, asking a male neighbour who keeps chickens,

"Have you got a cock?"

17 Jul 2012

mourisca

thank you all for your help Thumbs Up

My doubt was precisely about the rude meaning of the word cock... I �m well aware of it and I wasn �t sure if teaching that word to my students (in portugal) could bring them some embarrassment in the future... I think it �s best to use "rooster"... Smile

17 Jul 2012

ueslteacher

Apodo, what are you talking about, it �s not included in OALD? It IS there meaning #3 http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/cock:)

Sophia

17 Jul 2012

ldthemagicman

I am sorry to disagree, but in this part of the UK, the word "cock" or "cockerel" is commonly used to describe the male poultry, (without juvenile sniggering).

There is a children �s game: "Cock or Hen?"

The Oxford Dictionary of English lists the word "COCK" as follows, (in this order):

A male bird, especially of a domestic fowl.

In combination, in names of birds, especially game birds: Watercock.

A male lobster, crab, or salmon.

British, informal, a friendly form of address among men: Please yourself, cock!

Vulgar slang: a man �s penis.

British, informal, nonsense: That �s all a lot of cock.

A firing lever in a gun.

A stopcock.

A small pile of hay or straw. "He�s under a hay cock, fast asleeep."

The ODE has approximately a page-and-a-half of references to words beginning "cock".

Doubtless, some individuals find the use of this word, no matter in what context, cause for laughter. This says more about them, than it does about the ability of the editor of a dictionary.

Les

17 Jul 2012

Apodo

What I was trying to say was: If in doubt, use rooster.

Use whatever the English speakers in your region use. I know the slang meaning is included in the OED, but I was really replying to the post which stated: cock is BE, rooster is AmE, but gave no further information, because this isn �t the case in all regions.

I �m quite able to use the word in context. (with no sniggering whatsoever

)

17 Jul 2012