When I eat chicken, I call it chicken. Chicken wing; chicken drumsticks etc.

When I eat lamb, I call it lamb. Lamb shank; lamb cutlets.

So why do I not eat pig or cow? I eat pork or beef. Is there a reason for that?

  • ABCDE@lemmy.world
    121·
    11 months ago

    Adoption from French, I assume. I would say sheep for the animal and lamb for the meat, though.

    • Strayce@lemmy.sdf.org
      17·
      11 months ago

      Lamb (the meat) is specifically young sheep, which are also called lambs. Adult sheep are called sheep, but the meat is called mutton.

      English makes no sense.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          11 months ago

          one of my english teachers in highschool was actually ESL, and from Croatia. She spoke like seven or eight languages, though. It was funny, because occasionally she’d just slip into whatever random language.

          She also liked to swear in french. it was truly hair raising. Incidentally, she also refused to use the ‘standard’ books reading. She’d probably get banned in half the country these days, but she genuinely was probably the best English teacher I’ve had. also the best french teacher ;)

          • kspatlas@kbin.cafe
            2·
            11 months ago

            As a bilingual, switching into other languages by accident often sounds insane, like you’re just talking and then “Oh shit, that was the wrong language”

            • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              11 months ago

              Yeah. I mean, I don’t think I ever made a huge deal over it. there were definitely jerks that did though. (and also trolled her to the point of swearing in other languages… I felt bad about that. Especially looking back because I don’t think school admin had her back with those kids.)

          • ABCDE@lemmy.world
            11·
            11 months ago

            I have a couple of languages I curse in so I don’t get caught, usually Khmer or Portuguese, though the latter is pretty widely spoken/understood.

      • kaput@jlai.lu
        3·
        11 months ago

        Sheep in french is mouton. Pig is porc and cow is boeuf. Squid is calmar

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      lamb is the young animal. Sheep raised for meat don’t live long enough to not be lamb, though. old animals tend to produce tougher meat. (as apposed to sheep raised for wool production.)