Like a greased pig

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on December 27, 2009 at 19:40

In Reply to: Like a greased pig posted by Tormat Selector on December 27, 2009 at 14:01:

: An expression which seems to convey all the inevitability and speed of a sudden decline is:- "Going downhill like a greased pig".

: Anyone know the origin?

A traditional entertainment at British country festivals and fetes was to release a greased pig (normally a fairly small piglet) for everyone to try and catch. The winner got to keep the pig, which was of course a seriously valuable prize for a farm labourer. Excited pigs move much faster than you might think, and a greased one is very hard indeed to catch. (VSD)