• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the idiom “to go hog wild” come from and What does it mean?

Where does the idiom “to go hog wild” come from and What does it mean?

April 20, 2020 by Karen Hill

The expression “to go hog wild” means to become highly enthusiastic; especially, to become wildly excited, as hogs become when aroused; to run around like a chicken with its head cut off; hence, to become very angry, to get all het up; also, to become profligate, to spend money like a drunken sailor.

Both of my parents were born and reared in agricultural communities, and I am almost certain that this Americanism was familiar to each of them in all its senses.

If so, that would take it back to the 1850’s or 1860’s. I am sure, however, that it was a familiar colloquialism to them in my early childhood, as I have known and used it all my life in each of its varied meanings.

Nevertheless, the earliest printed date takes it back only to 1904, to a definition that appeared in Dialect Notes, with the single example: “I never saw such an excitement over a little thing in Arkansas as there was over that debate. They went hog wild.”

Perhaps some reader can cite an instance of earlier usage in print.

Related Facts

  • Where does the idiom "between cup and lip" come from and What does it mean?
  • What Does the Phrase "Nip and Tuck" Mean and Where Did the Idiom Come From?
  • What Does the Expression "Have Your Cake and Eat it Too" Mean and Where Did the Idiom Come From?
  • What Does the Expression "Straight and Narrow" Mean and Where Did the Idiom Come From?
  • Where Did the Expression "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" Come From and What Does the Idiom Mean?
  • What does the idiom "to put a spoke in one's wheel" mean and Where does it come from?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Where does the phrase “three cheers and a tiger” come from and What does it mean?
Next Post: Where does the term “pork barrel” come from and What does the expression mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy