Like a greased pig

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on December 29, 2009 at 23:15

In Reply to: Like a greased pig posted by Smokey Stover on December 29, 2009 at 18:43:

: : : 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)

: Is that the voice of experience, Victoria? Speaking as a quondam farm laborer, I can verify that greased pigs are not easy to catch and hold. Americans also have their country traditions, some of them called Dutch picnics, or, in my county, the firemen's picnic, in which egg-tossing, three-legged races, and pulling contests between teams of horses were common as well as the greased pig contest.
: SS

I confess I've never tried to catch a greased pig myself - but I have tried catching ungreased piglets and can attest that even that is pretty difficult. (VSD)

• Like a greased pig Baceseras 07/January/10
  • Like a greased pig Smokey Stover 10/January/10