What’s a sacred cow?

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A sacred cow is something that is considered immune to criticism by virtue of its high status. This term is often used sardonically to describe something that is regarded so highly that many people are afraid to criticize it. When speaking of a sacred cow, the implication is that it must be handled very carefully to avoid giving offense. This slang term is used in many English-speaking countries, although some people find it offensive due to its origins.

As a slang term, “sacred cow” derives from the status held by cows in Hindu culture, where the cow is considered a sacred animal. In India, where the Hindu faith is widespread, cows are allowed to roam the streets freely and must be treated with respect according to their status. During the 1800s, many European visitors to India wrote about the sacred cow, and many people came to believe that cows were sacred in all Asian religions, not just Hinduism.

In the 1890s, Western newspapers were comparing people and situations to sacred cows, and around 1910 they went one step further and dropped the comparison, simply referring to certain subjects as sacred cows. By this time, the term had entered the English lexicon and became widespread. It is often used in political controversy, usually in a way that suggests that a person or situation could actually stand up to closer scrutiny and perhaps critical thinking.

For people of the Hindu faith, this slang term might be considered offensive, because it refers to their religion in a rather unflattering way. The term essentially makes fun of the concept of the sacred cow in the Hindu faith and propagates the idea that cows are generally considered sacred throughout Asia which is not the case. While cows play a role in some Asian religions, it is only in Hinduism that they are considered holy.

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