Go Whole Hog

This idiom was originally recorded in 1828 as go the whole hog. Today, in the U.S., the article ‘the’ is omitted while speakers in the UK retain it.

Meaning Of Idiom ‘Go Whole Hog’

To go whole hog means to do something completely; to the fullest extent possible; to go all the way; to be thorough; to commit completely to something; to proceed as far as possible; to do something extravagant. 1Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,2Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.,3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,[Definition of Go the Whole Hog in Collins Dictionary https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/go-the-whole-hog[/note]

‘Go whole hog’ is often used to mean the same thing as ‘go all the way’ in regards to sexual relations.

Sentence Examples

“We went whole hog for our special night out. We went to an expensive restaurant and even ordered dessert. Then we went to a movie and had drinks, after.”

“I was thinking we could go whole hog and order a bottle of wine with our dinner.”

“Let’s go whole hog and rent a limo to take us to the prom!”

“I go the whole hog in the cause of Texas. I expect to help them gain their independence and to also form their civil government…” — The Alamo (1960)

“…I would be fine with, like, smooching, but, like, I don’t know if I could, like,  you know, go the whole hog…” — Black Rock (2013)

“Hope Angus doesn’t let it ruin his birthday. We really wanted to go whole hog this year. You know, tie one on, drag it around until it is dead.” — Hellbenders (2013)

“Oh, Dan, come along. I want you to dance with me.” “Everything else has happened to me. I might as well go whole hog.” — In Old Oklahoma (1943)

“I decided if I was gonna get my boobs done I might as well go whole-hog, you know what I mean?” “Yeah, I know what you mean.” “They’re still pretty natural-looking, don’t you think?” — Two and a Half Men: Yes, Monsignor (2004)

“I’m still technically “painting” with explosives. I just figured Jamie was gonna go whole hog on getting that room covered with paint, and I could kind of do my own thing.” — Mythbusters: Fire in the Hole (2014)

“Ray Carling catches more villains than the rest of the department put together. I boot him out, dozens of villains in this city go uncollared.” “Why not go the whole hog and promote him!” — Life on Mars: Episode #1.7 (2006)

Origin

Go the whole hog originated in America during the first part of the 1800s. Several fanciful and fully speculative stories are told about its origin.

One claim is that it may have come from a fable from William Cowper’s The Love the of the World; Hypocrisy Detected in 1779, where Muslims are struggling with the fact that they are forbidden to eat pork. Some among them claim that Muhammad forbade the eating of all but one special part of the animal, but none could agree on what part was permitted. So, each ate a different part of the hog, all of them comforting himself in the sublime knowledge that the part he had chosen was, in fact, the one permitted by Muhammad. Therefore, among them, they ate the whole hog. 4Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.

Some also speculate that the phrase comes from butchers asking their customers which part of the hog they would like to purchase, or whether they had rather ‘go the whole hog’ and buy the entire pig.

Also, ‘hog’ was a slang term for a ten-cent piece in America, and also an Irish shilling. So, it is possible that the expression originally referred to ‘spending the full amount.’ 5”go the whole hog.” Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.. 2012. HarperCollins Publishers 13 Oct. 2024 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/go+the+whole+hog

Whether any of these stories is the true origin of the idiom is unknown.