- Meaning
- This idiom describes living luxuriously, extravagantly, or with great comfort, often enjoying the best resources or indulgences available. It evokes the image of eating the choicest cuts of pork, located high on the hog’s back, symbolizing affluence. The phrase is used in social, economic, or lifestyle contexts to highlight prosperity or excess, carrying an admiring or slightly envious tone. It reflects cultural associations of wealth with abundance and the American fascination with upward mobility, often implying a contrast with humbler circumstances.
- Origin
- The phrase originated in 19th-century America, tied to rural butchery where the upper parts of a hog (like loins) were the most prized cuts, reserved for the wealthy. An early use appears in an 1870 *New York Tribune* article, describing affluent diners ‘living high on the hog.’ The idiom gained traction during the Gilded Age, reflecting economic disparities, as seen in Mark Twain’s *The Gilded Age* (1873). Its use grew in 20th-century American English, particularly during the Roaring Twenties and post-World War II prosperity, and was popularized through music and literature. The phrase’s vivid imagery and cultural resonance ensured its spread, especially in discussions of wealth and lifestyle.
- Variants
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- High on the hog
- Live high on the hog
- Living high on the hog
- Eat high on the hog
- Examples
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- Since the promotion, she’s been living high on the hog, dining at fancy restaurants.
- High on the hog, they bought a yacht and a vacation home.
- Live high on the hog while you can, but save for tougher times.
- Eating high on the hog, he splurged on imported wines and gourmet meals.
- They’re living high on the hog, throwing lavish parties every weekend.
- High on the hog, the family upgraded to a mansion in the hills.
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