Maybe this is another thing that's different between American and British English? Also, this other meaning of cock always makes me think of what a cock fight must look like. (Never fails to make me giggle.)
Another thing I noticed (as being taught British English at school) is the term "cab", which took me a while to figure out. (Sometimes, I'm just too lazy to look things up.) I was taught to call a cab a taxi.
Part of the problem with English, I think, is that there are just so many words for everything. I would consider the words cab and taxi as fully interchangeable. However...
Well, if someone were to talk about a cock fight, I'd know immediately that they were talking about two roosters fighting. On the other hand, if someone were to write this:
Clark lay in his bed, looking at the ceiling. The sounds of the farm had always been comforting to him, had always had the effect of putting him to sleep almost immediately. But this time was different. After all, the cock shouldn't be awake at midnight.
It might take me a moment to realize what the author was actually saying.
ML
