Why are cow pats called pats?

[Greenwich Ross]

What the heck is a pat? Even Google doesn't seem to have the answer to this one.

R.

[anonymous-user]

Maybe because they look like they've been patted down?
Couldn't tell you!

[KrazyIvan]

Because the joke would not work if they were call anything else.

What do you get if you sit under a cow?
A pat on the head.

[Greenwich Ross]

KrazyIvan said:

Because the joke would not work if they were call anything else.

What do you get if you sit under a cow?
A pat on the head.

[sunbeam alpine]

One possible explanation is that the process of forming butter (which originally took place on farms where the cows are) was called patting, and it produced flat oval shapes - more like cowpats than the square machine-produced blocks we see today.

[Justayellowbadge]

Same root as patty, I presume.

[PH lurker]

I've no idea but I nearly stood in one yesterday.

[Neil H]

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

[WorAl]

Neil H said:

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

This, sounds like slapping someone on the head.

[KrazyIvan]

WorAl said:

Neil H said:

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

This, sounds like slapping someone on the head.

I call bull st

[WorAl]

KrazyIvan said:

WorAl said:

Neil H said:

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

This, sounds like slapping someone on the head.

I call bull st

I bet you 10 quid they do...




apparently I look a bit like him too.

Stupid swear filter.

Edited by WorAl on Monday 11th July 13:00

[Steamer]

Neil H said:

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

Its more of a slap than a Pat though.

[Greenwich Ross]

"Pham Saint Claire, take my Cock-en-ey slap in your boat!"
"Doosh!"

[BlackVanDyke]

I reckon the more interesting/revealing question will be what are they called everywhere else? Are we the only country/language who have a specific word for the excreta of one animal?

I am now trying to work out how to find out what a cow pat is called in Hungarian...

[Whitefly Swatter]

A deposit of cow dung is referred to in American English as a "cow pie", and in British English as a cowpat

[WorAl]

Whitefly Swatter said:

A deposit of cow dung is referred to in American English as a "cow pie", and in British English as a cowpat

You see, I always think of pie as edible, either ingestible or just to chew on

Now I wouldn't eat a cow st, no matter how tasty it looked.

[mrmr96]

Neil H said:

Possibly because of the sound made when being created.

Spot on, so to speak:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia

"An onomatopoeia is a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes. Onomatopoeia (as an uncountable noun) refers to the property of such words. Common occurrences of onomatopoeias include animal noises, such as "oink" or "meow" or "roar"."

[jeff m]

I haven't given this a lot of thought but....I assumed it was because they were similar in shape to a pat of butter.