The mud-loving domestic pig we are familiar with is part of the Suidae family, together with hogs and swine for a total of 16 species. From pink and adorable to stocky and brown, pigs have been with us for roughly 45,500 years. Aside from being common livestock, we have also integrated them into our idioms, stories, shows, and music. We have prepared plenty of pig quotes below, ranging from the humorous to the profound, that will provide a glimpse into our relationship with these highly misjudged animals.
Quick links to our selection of pig quotes:
Looking beyond the pig's role in our food chain, they are actually adorable, intelligent creatures that love belly rubs. An example of their display of intelligence is when scientists discovered pigs could play games using their snouts despite the lack of hands and thumbs and their far-sighted eyes3.
Another study also proved they are empathic by testing their ability for emotional contagion2. Some people even rate them as pets, although they do like getting messy!
After reading the best pig quotes below, you can visit our rundown of vegan quotes to explore a cruelty-free approach to the food we eat.
"I've always loved pigs: the shape of them, the look of them, and the fact that they are so intelligent."
"I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls. They all love company. They all crave contact and comfort. Pigs have a delightful sense of mischief; most of them seem to enjoy a good joke and appreciate music. And that is something you would certainly never suspect from your relationship with a pork chop."
"Everything in a pig is good. What ingratitude has permitted his name to become a term of opprobrium?"
Idioms and connotations associated with pigs are often misguided. For example, "sweating like a pig" isn't accurate because they don't sweat. In reality, the term came from the iron-smelting process wherein hot iron poured on the sand resembled a piglet.
We also describe a messy room as a pigsty because of their love for mud, but the truth is pigs are hygienic creatures. They separate their area for waste from their eating and sleeping area. In relation to the previous example, they only love rolling in the mud because they can't sweat.
As you read the following metaphorical pig quotes below, include time for research to know more about these snouty creatures.
Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, and some find pigs cute and beautiful in their own way. However, few would argue that the mole rat that tops our list of the world’s ugliest animals, is one of nature’s more attractive specimens.
"A pig's tail will never make a good arrow."
"Well-being and happiness never appeared to me as an absolute aim. I am even inclined to compare such moral aims to the ambitions of a pig."
"Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize."
"For all those men who say, ‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free,’ here’s an update for you. Now 80 percent of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig, just to get a little sausage."
"An artist is like a pig snouting truffles."
"In each human heart are a tiger, a pig, an ass and a nightingale. Diversity of character is due to their unequal activity."
Oink! Aside from that sound, we learned since we were toddlers pigs can also vocalize by grunting, snorting, squealing, and even barking. A pig owner also recorded how a sow grunts a tune for her feeding piggies. To add to their appealing charm, they also roll to their sides and lovingly ask for belly rubs like dogs!1
Aren't they adorable? Continue reading our pig quotes below that will make you smile.
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
"Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."
"I'd as soon kiss a pig! Is that what you've been doing-kissing pigs? Or being kissed?"
"Sometimes love doesn't come to us. We have to go out hunting. It's like pigs looking for truffles. It's called dating."
"Man thrives where angels would die of ecstasy and where pigs would die of disgust."
"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
"You can put wings on a pig, but you don't make it an eagle."
To address the elephant in the room, pig farming which began around 9,000 years ago, has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Yes, it's one of our top food sources, but unfortunately, it negatively impacts the environment.
Pig farms consume valuable resources such as land, water, and crops. Environmental activist Paul Watson even claimed that "pigs eat more fish than sharks." They also produce waste that pollutes the surrounding air, land, and water.
The industry also affects us as we put pork on our dining tables. Undercooked meat results in foodborne illnesses such as Trichinellosis, while cooked but fatty red meat corresponds to an increase in blood pressure.
After reading the pig quotes below, dive deeper into this topic with our article about eating less meat to help the environment.
"Although pigs are generally good-natured, more people are killed each year by pigs than by sharks."
"Pigs eat more tuna than all the planet's sharks combined."
"When I see bacon, I see a pig, I see a little friend, and that's why I can't eat it. Simple as that."
"Pigs may not be as cuddly as kittens or puppies, but they suffer just as much."
From classic nursery rhymes, Three Little Pigs, to more modern characters like Wilbur, Peppa Pig, and Babe, pigs are famous across generations. Although the pig was the last to finish the race among the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, it represents wealth and happiness. Meanwhile, pigs are sacred in Hinduism and a forbidden food in Islam.
Learn more about the numerous cultural depiction of the swine after reading the rest of the pig quotes below.
"If you are jumping up and down in muddy puddles, you must wear rain boots."
"But is is a good word, Charlotte? I mean, is it a true word? I don't feel like I deserve all of the great words you've written about me."
"Well, I have to warn you, I may be small, but I can be ferocious if provoked."
"You can play and laugh and fiddle
Don't think you can make me sore
I'll be safe and you'll be sorry
When the Wolf comes to your door."
"Have you seen the little piggies
Crawling in the dirt?
And for all the little piggies
Life is getting worse,
Always having dirt to play around in."
| 1 | Rault JL, Truong S, Hemsworth L, Le Chevoir M, Bauquier S, Lai A. Gentle abdominal stroking ('belly rubbing') of pigs by a human reduces EEG total power and increases EEG frequencies. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Nov 18;374:111892. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.04.006. Epub 2019 Apr 5. PMID: 30959126. |
| 2 | Reimert, I., Bolhuis, J. E., Kemp, B., & Rodenburg, T. B. (2014). Emotions on the loose: emotional contagion and the role of oxytocin in pigs. Animal cognition. DOI 10.1007/s10071-014-0820-6 |
| 3 | Croney, C. C., & Boysen, S. T. (2021). Acquisition of a Joystick-Operated Video Task by Pigs (Sus scrofa). Frontiers in Psychology, 12. |
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