idiom

[sane]

What does this sentence mean:

"I have had a lot of beef with my dad over the years."

 

[Skrej]

'to have a beef with' means to have a problem or disagreement with somebody or something.

Edit: Assuming you're looking for an idiomatic interpretation. It could also be a literal sentence meaning you and your dad have eaten a lot of beef together over the years.

 

[MikeNewYork]

If the OP wanted the idiomatic interpretation, "beef" should be "beefs".

 

[Skrej]

Perhaps, if there were multiple disagreements. However if it was a single long-standing point of contention, I would be okay with 'a lot of beef'.

Admittedly though, father/son disagreements are rarely limited to a single bone of contention.

 

[Raymott]

That sounds like bull to me.

 

[sane]

That sounds like bull to me.

What does "bull" mean here?

 

[Skrej]

It's a shorter and more tactful way of saying 'bullsh*t' - he's expressing disbelief.

Raymott is making a (good!) pun about beef, since a bull is also a male cow.

 

[MikeNewYork]

There is no such thing as a male cow. :roll:

 

[probus]

What does "bull" mean here?

Bull is short for bullsh*t, meaning absolute nonsense.

 

[Skrej]

There is no such thing as a male cow. :roll:

'Cow(s)' is also used synonymously for 'cattle' since there isn't a singular version of the word cattle. You can refer to any bovine as a cow.

 

[Tdol]

There is no such thing as a male cow. :roll:

That might be the case, but it works for explaining what a bull is. It's probably better that calling it the husband of a cow, which I have also heard. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I disagree, but then it is my profession.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I fear that the lineup suggests that my disagreement was to Tdol's post. But it was really to post #10.

 

[Skrej]

Unless it's important to differentiate between a cow, heifer, steer, or bull, the two really are widely used interchangeably. Perhaps more so in agricultural or ranching regions, but don't take my word for it.


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cow?s=t
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/cow
https://www.google.com/search?q=beef+belt&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=cow+definition

 

[MikeNewYork]

I won't. I understand genetics. :-D

 

[probus]

There is no such thing as a male cow. :roll:

Sure there is. Those cowpokes on the Old Chisolm Trail were poking boy cows, not girl cows.

 

[MikeNewYork]

:shock:

 

[m3zomo]

Sounds weird to me!

 

[MikeNewYork]

:shock:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Please be assured that I took no offense at all. I assume you were playing with me and I decided to play back. However, when all is said and done, there are no male cows. :lol: