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Save your bacon

Posted by ESC on August 31, 2004

In Reply to: Save your bacon posted by Lotg (OZ) on August 30, 2004

: Typically I was running late for an appointment yesterday, so I was leadfooting it down the Mountain. My partner had left slightly earlier for a different appointment so was ahead of me in a separate car. He rang me to warn me that there was a Radar car heading up the hill towards me. I slowed down, and phew, was doing the limit by the time the cop passed me.

: I SMS'd my partner to thank him for 'saving my bacon'. It subsequently occurred to me that this is an old, common, but odd expression. Does anyone know how, when, where this originated? When you think it through it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean if you're a pig for example, by the time your meat is bacon, your long gone. Any info please?

I don't have any idea. It could mean saving your livelihood as in "bringing home the bacon." Or saving a part of your anatomy.

I did find something at motherearthnews.com about butchering a hog. Have you ever heard of bleeding like a stuck pig?

"Very often when sticking hogs someone will make an effort to stick the heart. This should not be done as the heart should be left uninjured in order that it may continue to function properly and pump out the blood as rapidly as possible. To reach the heart the sticking cut would have to be made very deep, which is almost sure to result in internal bleeding. To prevent internal bleeding the sticking should merely sever the large vein and artery well in front of the heart. A quick and thorough bleed is one of the foundation steps in putting up high quality meat. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on the importance of a good bleed. Shooting or stunning before sticking should always be avoided unless the hog is very wild. A good bleed is difficult to obtain when hogs are stunned or shot."

Enjoy your BLT.

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