Thing Probably Not To Do Today: hog something.

 Personally I think that hogs* are delightful creatures:

Attribution hthg1983's photo stream Flickr Photo Download: Dont ya think pigs can really fly? This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

but there's no denying they've got a bad reputation.

If you hog something then you're keeping hold of it so you can live high on the hog by taking more than your fair share. The lion's share, in fact.


Photo by Kevin Pluck.

The most likely animal to be hogged, though, is not a lion (though it could be done if the lion was...er...well, asleep, drugged or dead, probably) but a horse. A hogged horse is one whose mane has been shaved off.



It must be admitted that, apart from the sort of hog which means to arch the back, none of this hogging behaviour is very lovely, and I can't help but feel sorry for all the kind, generous, loving hogs out there who are constantly having their reputation blackened.
 
And it's not just pigs who suffer. 
 
'Hedgehogs,' said Dan Antopolski, winning the prize for best joke at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival. 

'Why can't they just share the hedge?"

 

Thing Not To Do Today: hog something. This word comes from the Old English hogg from a Celtic word. The Cornish word is hoch.

*I think that hoggs are delightful creatures, too, but as half the time a hogg is a sheep and not a pig I'll leave that one alone for today.