swine

(plural – the same spelling – ‘swine’ or ‘swines‘; for the right pronunciation, please click here)

old or technical usage, reference to a pig, wild boar or hog

A group of swine is called a ‘sounder’ or ‘drift’.

A domestic swine is called a ‘squealer’.

The ‘swine flu’, SIV — swine influenza virus, is common in pigs. Though it is not very common for people to get ‘human influenza’ through swine flu, there are cases where people constantly exposed to pigs get human influenza and are at risk of losing life. By eating properly cooked pork, the scientists assure, people do not contract swine flu!

Figures of Speech:
1. swine (noun) = an unpleasant and nasty person who behaves rudely with others

2. to swine through = to do some work in an untidy or careless or wasteful manner

3. to sleep like a swine = to sleep soundly, usually snoring

4. drunk as a swine = having too much alcohol; disgustingly drunk

5. as mad as a pulled swine

6. rooting like an unrung swine (‘rooting’ = to search for food by digging with the nose) = to search for something by turning over things carelessly

7. (a) not care the bristle of a swine

(b) not worth the bristle of a swine

8. draff is good enough for a swine (‘draff’ = the waste things, usually leftovers of food, usually thrown away or given to pigs) [said to imply that there is no need to provide good food and comfort for someone who does not deserve them, who are of very untidy, or having indecent behaviour]

9. the swine has run through it [said of a marriage that has gone wrong]

10. swine, women, and bees cannot be turned [an expression implying that one cannot make them take their minds off from something; cannot be made to follow a particular direction]

11. cast/casting pearls before a swine [an expression that means wasting or offering something (a piece of advice, a suggestion or some help) good or valuable on somebody who doesn’t understand or care for the goodness or greatness of that thing]