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I have captured these images for La Vanguardia's Readers' Photos of the sunrise in Cardona with the protagonists' cows, one of which, by the way, is very bad-tempered, as can be seen in this video.
Taking advantage of this series of photographs we could ask ourselves, where does the expression "bad milk" come from and what meanings does it have?
This question was raised in the Cervantes Virtual Center forum, where it is recalled that the Dictionary of the Spanish Language reserves two meanings for it: Bad intention (for example, "the exam question is asked with bad temper"); and bad humor (for example, example, "today he's in a bad mood because he got a flat tire").
"Bad milk" is used to designate someone who shows bad character, bad temper or bad intentions. One can become "angry" if one is angry or pissed off for some reason.
The origin of the expression dates back to ancient times, when it was believed that the milk a person breastfed influenced their character. This is related to the other expression: "The milk they gave you (or have given you)!" For example, an angry mother may express it like this to her child: "The milk I gave you!"
Therefore, in the past it was thought that if you had received "good milk", you would be a good person. Even doctors advised that physically and mentally healthy wet nurses be sought to give milk.
