“Cock” (gallo) you may know. You probably have a “cockstop” (llave de paso) in your kitchen and bathroom. Guns also have a “cock” (martillo). Examine these other uses:
- Someone might “cock a snook at someone” (burlarse de alguien/algo) or something which means that the person was defiant (desfiante), disrespectful (irrespetuoso) or derisive (burlón). Some examples:
Mr. Trump often cocks a snook at diplomatic conventions or protocols. This means that he is sometimes disrespectful of diplomatic procedures.
Many people have “cocked a snook at” the lockdown regulations. This means that they were disrespectful of the distancing rules re Covid 19.
- Mr. Sanchez thinks he is the “cock of the walk” or the “top dog” in Spain. He might be overbearing (imperioso). Perhaps he is the “gallo del lugar”.
- When you are in politics you have to “keep your ears cocked” (aguzar el oído), that is, constantly listening to other conversations, so that you know what is happening or being said.
- If something or someone goes off at “half-cock” it means that it or he starts badly, probably due to a lack of good preparation. So, you could say the lockdown measures in Spain started off at half-cock (empezaron en práctica sin la debida preparación).
So, did Mr. Sanchez go off at half-cock with the Covid 19 measures? What do you opine?
