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Snappy Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Milk is rotten

I've once heard that "This milk is rotten" is not English because "rotten" is not used for milk. Instead, we should say, "This milk is bad."

Do you ever say, "This cake is rotten"?
Are there any oher things that cannot be used with the word "rotten"?
  

Top answer

Milk usually 'goes bad', but some say then that it is 'rotten'. Cake does not go rotten, since it does not become foul-smelling or decay-- it just dries up. )

— Mister Micawber

  • Milk usually 'goes bad', but some say then that it is 'rotten'.
  • Cake does not go rotten, since it does not become foul-smelling or decay-- it just dries up.
  • )
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8 Answers
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Milk usually 'goes bad', but some say then that it is 'rotten'. Cake does not go rotten, since it does not become foul-smelling or decay-- it just dries up. (Keep in mind, though, that 'rotten' also means very bad-- 'Your singing is rotten'-- so a badly-made cake could be called a rotten one.)
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It can be said that Milk goes "sour", not rotten.
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As I said, 'rotten' is occasionally used-- particularly to distinguish from merely going 'sour':

My concern is that the milk goes rotten within 6 to 10 days. And it does not sour first it just goes rotten very fast.

Pasteurised milk goes ROTTEN and stinks when it spoils. (Globe and Mail)
Pasteurized milk goes rotten/r
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Maybe it's a British thing? I can't imagine anyone (in the U.S.) saying "this milk is rotten." I think the most common way of saying it would be "This milk has spoiled." Other possibliites: "This milk has gone bad" or even "this milk has turned."
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Thank you everyone.

One more thing. Can I say, "This cheeze is rotten."?
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Cheese is supposed to be rotten, just like natto.
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khoffI can't imagine anyone (in the U.S.) saying "this milk is rotten." I think the most common way of saying it would be "This milk has spoiled."
Same here.

CJ
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I say 'rotten'. My mother said 'rotten' (which probably explains why I do). But then, I also say 'spoiled', 'off' and 'bad'-- the result of a liberal education.
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