Re: Re: Steers

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 14:18:39 -0700


> Steer is an American word, in England it would be "bullock". Now, we have
a
> unit in the Dragon Pass game which is called something Bullocks, so if
they
> can be named after castrated cattle then you can easily have a person
named
> similarly. By the way, from cowboy movies, I knew that a steer was some
kind
> of cattle, but not necessarily that it was a bullock, so the name "Steer"
> need not have any implications.

Well, it is a perfectly good Anglo-Saxon word, rather than a pure Americanism. It's probably used in some regional accent of English, and was transported over here to become the accepted word for "young ox". My guess it that it is used one side or the other of the Danegeld - but I'm not sure which.

RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done.
- Richelieu

Powered by hypermail