|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Bill Bryson, in The Mother Tongue mentions in passing the phrase "root hog or die", which I questioned in today's wwftd entry. so far I've had two(2) responses that don't mesh all that well: 1. a link to a song with this title, which uses the phrase as a pick-up line for the chorus - punctuated Root, hog, or die. http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/usa/roothog.htm2. and this: I played football when I was in college, and we had a drill called Dig Dig Little Pig - Root Hog or Die
It had two linemen facing each other, a ball carrier and a would-be tackler. The coach took great joy in squealing out that name when it was time for the drill. The players didn't like it much because everyone got beat to death.in the first verse of the song(1) we find: Big pig or little pig Root, hog, or die which closely tracks the football drill: Dig Dig Little Pig - Root Hog or Die. is anyone out there familiar with any of this?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I've heard the phrase infrequently. It has always seemed to be functionally similar to "sink or swim." I've never heard it used in a song and don't know anything about football.
k
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
dr.bill suggests it should be taken as a literal command to a Colonial Pig. (from thence it could be transferred as you suggest, FF)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133
member
|
|
member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133 |
A pig in a pen can just wait for the farmer to come feed him, but a wild hog has to find his own food, mostly by digging or "rooting" in the ground...or finding another acorn! In other words, You're on your own!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
"sink or swim." - In German, there is a phrase that matches the sense even more closely: "Vogel friss oder stirb" ,i.e. Bird, eat or die.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The academic version:
Publish or perish.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Is there a work ethic element to this as well?
Somewhere I've heard: "All God's critters gotta scratch fer a livin'."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
The pop grammar version:
Eats Shoots and Leaves.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176
member
|
|
member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 176 |
Although I think the ‘sink or swim’ interpretation is the most plausible, and makes the most sense, when I first read the ‘root hog, or die’ expression, the initial image that popped into my head was someone threatening a pig to root for truffles, and find them, or be made into ham, meaning, more or less, “you will be of use to me, one way or the other, pig: one way you can live; one way you can die.”
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
initial image that popped into my head was someone threatening a pig to root for truffles, and find them or be made into ham
Never occurred to me in that sense. I've seen pigs on the farm, but not very close. More to the point I've seen them root on television - and even that was nothing so graphic or informative as the description Bill limned for me.
k
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,333
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
743
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
