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hog
eat high off the hog
To prosper or otherwise live very well. It refers to the rich being able to afford the choicest cut of meat, which, from a pig, is higher up on the animal. They've been eating high on the hog ever since David won the lottery. It must be a shock for them having to count their pennies like this—they're used to eating high off the hog, after all.
hog (something)
To take or use something all for oneself; to not allow others to have or use something. Hey buddy, quit hogging the road! My wife always hogs the covers at night.
ball hog
sports A player who monopolizes the ball without including teammates in an attempt to score, move the ball, or maintain possession. Usually used for basketball and football (soccer). Boy, you're being a real ball hog today! Why don't you pass it to one of your teammates for a change?
independent as a hog on ice
Unable to be controlled. The phrase was originally used in the sport of curling to describe the movement of the stones on the ice. I want to keep this meeting from happening, but it's independent as a hog on ice now, with so many people involved. I worry about my daughter's rebelliousness, but she's as independent as a hog on ice—there's no stopping her from doing what she wants to do.
road hog
A driver who takes up too much space on the road, making it difficult or impossible for other drivers to pass. Many morning commuters became frustrated at the road hog straddling two lanes.
call hogs
Rur. to snore. I couldn't sleep at all last night, with Cousin Joe calling hogs in the next room. Joe calls hogs so loud the windows rattle.
go hog wild
Rur. to behave wildly. Have a good time at the party, but don't go hog wild. The teacher cannot control a class that is going hog wild.
go whole hog
to do everything possible; to be extravagant. Let's go whole hog. Order steak and lobster. Show some restraint. Don't go whole hog all the time.
hog wild
wild; out of control. I went hog wild at the sale and bought six new pairs of shoes. There were a dozen different desserts at the picnic. A person who liked sweets could go hog wild.
in hog heaven
Fig. very happy; having a wonderful time. Bill's a fan of Clark Gable, so when the movie theater had a Clark Gable movie festival, Bill was in hog heaven. Jane loves to quilt, so she was in hog heaven when they opened that new store for quilters.
know as much about something as a hog knows about Sunday
Rur. to have no knowledge of something. Don't let Jim make dessert for the picnic. He knows as much about pies as a hog knows about Sunday. I had quite a time changing the tire, since I know as much about cars as a hog knows about Sunday.
live high off the hog
and live high on the hog; eat high on the hogRur. to live well and eat good food. (Note the variation with pretty.) After they discovered oil on their land, they lived pretty high on the hog. Looks like we're living high off the hog tonight. What's the occasion?
road hog
Fig. someone who drives carelessly and selfishly. Look at that road hog driving in the middle of the road and stopping other drivers from passing him. That road hog nearly knocked the children over. He was driving too fast.
go whole hog
to do something as completely as possible We decided the only way we could afford vacations is to go camping, so we went whole hog and got the tents and sleeping bags and everything else.
live high on the hog
also live high off the hog to live in great comfort with a lot of money Gardner, who made only $8,000 last year, has definitely not been living high on the hog.
Related vocabulary: live it upEtymology: based on the idea that better quality meat is found on the upper parts of a hog (pig)
go hog wild
(American informal) to become too excited and eager about something, often so that you do too much There's no need to go hog wild just because it's Sarah's birthday - she won't want such a fuss.
live high off/on the hog
(American & Australian) to have a lot of money and live in comfort, especially eating and drinking a lot He was a millionaire who lived high on the hog at all times.
a road hog
(old-fashioned) a bad driver who does not allow other drivers to pass them on the road Come on, let me past, road hog!
go the whole hog
(British, American & Australian) also go whole hog (American) to do something as completely as possible It was going to cost so much to repair my computer, I thought I might as well go the whole hog and buy a new one. I went whole hog and had a huge steak and French fries.
go hog wild
Become crazy with excitement, as in The crowd went hog wild as soon as the band began to play. Why this expression should allude to the craziness of hogs is no longer known. [Colloquial; c. 1900]
go whole hog
Also,
go the limit. Do something completely or thoroughly; proceed as far as possible. For example,
Instead of just painting the room, why not go whole hog and redecorate it completely? or
Let's go the limit and dig up the entire garden. Although the precise source of
whole hog is disputed, this colloquialism was first recorded in 1828 (in
Japhet by Frederick Marryat) as
go the whole hog. Today the article is usually omitted.
Go the limit, also a colloquialism, dates from the mid-1900s. Also see
all out.
high off the hog, eat
Also, live high on the hog. Prosper, live luxuriously, as in When Aunt Ida dies and they inherit her estate, they'll be eating high off the hog, or Since their loan was approved, they've been living high on the hog. It alludes to the choicest cuts of meat, which are found on a pig's upper flanks. [Late 1800s]
road hog
A motorist whose vehicle straddles two traffic lanes, as in Stay in your own lane, you road hog! This expression uses hog in the sense of "a greedy or selfish person." [Colloquial; late 1800s]
hog out
v. Slang To eat something greedily, ravenously, or voraciously; gorge: At the picnic we hogged out on hot dogs and fries.
call hogs
tv. to snore really loudly. Mike was calling hogs all night long and I got hardly a wink of sleep.
hog
1. and
hog cadillac n. a large car; a souped up car. (see also
road hog.)
How do you like my new hog? Where are you going to park that hog cadillac. 2. n. a police officer; a pig. The hogs are on to you.
3. n. an addict who requires very large doses to sustain the habit. (Drugs.) Ernie is turning into a hog. He just can’t get enough.
4. n. phencyclidine (PCP), an animal tranquilizer. (Drugs.) We’re glad to learn that the demand for hog is tapering off.
hog cadillac
verbhog-wild
mod. wild; boisterous. All the kids were completely hog-wild by the time I got there.
road hog
n. someone who takes too much space on a road or highway; someone who seems to run other people off the road. Get over! Road hog!
sewer hog
n. a ditch digger; a sewer worker. A sewer hog doesn’t get a lot of chances to pal around with the gentry, but the pay’s plenty good.
cut a fat hog
Texas To take on more than one is able to accomplish: "Boy, has he cut a fat hog, as they say down home" (Hughes Rudd).
as accommodating as a hog on ice
Very disagreeable. An old New England expression that imparts a very clear message: swine don't like being very cold any more than people do.
go hog wild
Become overly excited or enthusiastic. Why the hog should have been singled out remains a mystery, unless porcine greediness was somehow connected with an overwhelming desire for excitement. In any event, the phrase has now been overshadowed by “going ape-shit” (which raises even more intriguing simian speculation).