Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] Pig's earMeaning 'Pig's ear' is Cockney rhyming slang for beer. 'A pig's ear' is a mess or muddle. Origin As an example of Cockney rhyming slang, 'pig's ear' is one of the earliest. It appears in D. W. Barrett's Life & Work among Navvies, 1880:
'A pig's ear' is also British in origin, but is a mid 20th century phrase which isn't related to the rhyming slang term. This derives from the old proverb 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear', which dates from the 16th century. |