The Theater in the Victorian Age

[BettyO]

Same thing - although c**k is the correct term for a male bird; just like b***h is the correct term for a female canine. Dog is the correct term for a male canine. Tom is the correct term for a domestic male cat and queen is used for a female cat.

Vulgar people over the years have turned certain words in the English language into vulgar terms. One really good book (and I believe it is online free) is The History of the Vulgar Tongue - an early 19th century book of naughty words....I have both an eBook and a hard copy of it.