Oil the pig??

Posted by ESC on November 28, 2000

In Reply to: Sayings that I have not been able to find. posted by Rita Sabini on November 27, 2000

: I'm looking for 2 phrases that were spoken to my sister. I have never heard of them, nor has she. They are: I don't want "to oil the pig"; and "like a stick in a cage". Have you ever heard of these. Please let me know if there are such phrases.
: Thank you.
: Rita

I haven't heard these phrases and I can't find them in my references. I'm guessing that maybe "oil the pig" has to do with the "greased pig contest" at county fairs. If you don't want to oil the pig, you don't want to make the job more difficult. And "stick in a cage" might relate to "rattling someone's cage," getting a person stirred up about something. Anybody have any better ideas?