What Does Pig Pile Mean?
Pig pile is a slang phrase that has come to be associated with football, where often there is a pile-up of players at the end of a play. The term was also applied to police officers who piled-on arrested suspects. Not surprisingly, the phrase pig pile actually originated with pig farmers.
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Pig Pile Origins
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When it's cold outside, pigs huddle up. In the March 1916 issue of "The Farm Journal," Dr. CC Lipp of the South Dakota State College of Agriculture wrote, "During cold weather there is always a tendency for pigs to pile up in their bed for the purpose of keeping warm." This is not seen as much in modern pig farming because of technological advancements such as using shelters or concrete floors to keep pigs warmer in the winter, but it does happen.
Pig Pile Colloquialisms
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A pile of football players is sometimes called a pig pile. As with any slang, the phrase pig pile was applied to other situations, such as when football players pile on each other. Unfortunately these phrases can have negative connotations as well, as in the case of the phrase being used to describe police brutality.
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Pig Pile Game
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The phrase pig pile was even applied to a card game. Introduced in 2001, the object of the game is to get rid of your cards and collect the most pigs. Pig Pile is for three to six players ages eight and up.
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References
- Photo Credit pig baby image by Maria Bell from Fotolia.com farm animals image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com Football game image by Sirena Designs from Fotolia.com
