Peter Denny G61-66 emailed the following comment:

With reference to the Cock Up Club the derivation of the term \'cock up\' can be
contested as follows:

Although the phrase \'cock-up\' might appear to have come about in a similar way
to \'balls-up\', its origins are actually in beer making. If the batch went bad,
they turned the cock (ie tap, or faucet) up to drain the barrel. However, the
word \'cock\', a Middle and Old English word, is one of the many vulgarities for
the penis. In London, though, Cockneys appear to have both terms in mind when
they say \'Wotcher cock\', which comes from the term \'cock sparrow\'
(pronounced \'sparrah\'). It is a general term for a man, although \'cock sparrow\'
was usually saved for small boys. It has been used for about 300 years.