# what beast is a bovine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2000, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811 "2000-04-20T07:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VaHermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ed655f/32.png) [@VaHermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VaHermit)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/21 "2000-04-21T07:23:00Z")
“The cow is of the bovine ilk, One end is moo, the other milk.” (Nash?) ---
**Author:** ![Smile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Smile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smile)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/22 "2000-04-21T11:19:00Z")
[QUOTE}Let’s say you’re driving through farm country and you see a bunch of cattle. You might exclaim to your spouse, “Oh look, honey, cows!” Well, in all likelihood, the herd you see is mostly or completely cows, since there are usually a lot less bulls in a herd than cows, and they don’t usually hang out together. Maybe that’s why we refer to all of them as female - because the ones we usually see, are.[/QUOTE] Not round my neck of the woods, squire. They’re equally likely to be bullocks - that is, neutered bulls. The reasons are simple [ul][li]Bullocks are a lot easier to handle than bulls[/li][li]Dairy farming and meat farming are both fairly prevalent round us, so the cows are gerally used for milk[/li][li]There’s a great distaste for veal in this country[/li][li]Cows give birth to an equal number of male and female calves (or do they? Anyone got any studies on this?)[/ul][/li] Bullocks are odd creatures actually - intensely curious, for starters. I’ve had an entire fieldful follow me along a fence for five minutes, staring at my dog. (If you’ll forgive a slight anthropomorphication - “Hey lads! There’s a wolf on a bit of string over here!”) * * * Luther Blisset is Everyman. So Smile. ---
**Author:** ![Smile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Smile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smile)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/23 "2000-04-21T11:21:00Z")
And forgive my messing up the quotes please, this is my first attempt at UBB. * * * Luther Blisset is Everyman. So Smile. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/24 "2000-04-21T11:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by VaHermit: > **"The cow is of the bovine ilk, > One end is moo, the other milk." > (Nash?)** Yep, that was good old Ogden. As well as this gem… Reflections on Ice-Breaking Candy Is dandy But liquor Is quicker ---
**Author:** ![KimKatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@KimKatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KimKatt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/25 "2000-04-21T14:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Smile: > \*\* If you’ll forgive a slight anthropomorphication > \*\* Thanks to Smile for the new word-of-the-day: \*\* Anthropomorphication \*\* Now if I can just figure out how to use it in a sentence… 🙂 * * * Any similarities between your reality and mine are purely coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/26 "2000-04-21T15:10:00Z")
It’s worse than you thought, **Katt.** The word is actually “anthropomorphization”. from Merriam-Webster, 1997: > [@](#): > > \*\* > Main Entry: an·thro·po·mor·phize > Pronunciation: -"fIz > Function: verb > Inflected Form(s): -phized; -phiz·ing > Date: 1845 > transitive senses : to attribute human form or personality to > intransitive senses : to attribute human form or personality to things not human > > - an·thro·po·mor·phi·za·tion /-"mor-f&-'zA-sh&n/ noun ## \*\* “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ad7895/32.png) [@tiny\_cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_cow)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/27 "2000-04-21T18:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > cow [1] (noun) > > [Middle English cou, from Old English cu; akin to Old High German kuo cow, Latin bos head of cattle, Greek bous, Sanskrit go] > > First appeared before 12th Century > > 1 a : the mature female of cattle (genus Bos) > > b : the mature female of various usu. large animals (as an elephant, whale, or moose) > > **2 : a domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age** > > – cowy (adjective) Myself, I prefer the term “microheifer,” a la PUNdit. Of course, those who, on occasion, call me “kleine Kuh” have also been known to register special favor. * * * “Good grief!” cried Whistler as he saw his mother scrubbing the floor on her hands and knees. “Are you off your rocker?” ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2000, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811/28 "2000-04-21T19:30:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Of course, those who, on occasion, call me “kleine Kuh” have also been known to register special favor. Waaall, round OUR neck of the woods, I ain’t never seed no cows I’d zactly call CLEAN, and you shore dew spell funny … \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-beast-is-a-bovine/10811.md?page=1)