Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

go the whole hog

/ˈɡoʊ ðə hoʊl ˈhɔɡ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.56 in modern English

Syllables: go the w-hole hog
IPA: /ˈɡoʊ ðə hoʊl ˈhɔɡ/

27

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To do something as completely or entirely as possible; to hold back or reserve nothing.

American usage; Informal; Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"If you can afford a new computer, you might as well go the whole hog and get it custom built."
"Having nothing else to do, I thought that I might, in part, amuse myself by observing the proceedings and listening to the remarks of a certain sea-captain (also a visiter at the same time), an Englishman born, and, though a naturalized citizen, an Englishman still in his heart, and notable for the rotundity of his assertions—"going the whole hog," as the saying now is. All his notions of perfection seemed to be derived from English things; […]"
"[W]e have, it is hoped, gone "the whole hog" in showing the main points in the life and death of a pig, and the varied services which—willingly or not—he renders to man."
"To gain influence in Canada, and be the leader of a party, a man must, as the Yankees say, "go the whole hog.""
"“[…] We had a glimpse of a Swann tremendously agitated. In a state of nerves. You see, Odette had left.” / “You mean to say that she has gone the ‘whole hog’ with him; that she has ‘burned her boats’?” inquired the Doctor cautiously, testing the meaning of his phrases."
"Professor [Charles Austin] Beard at least goes the whole hog, and being logical and intelligent, is prepared to draw the full consequences of his conception of security."

Etymology

Origin uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested: * A reference to using the whole of a hog’s carcass for food, leather, etc., without wasting any part; or specifically to a poem by the English poet William Cowper (1731–1800), “The Love of the World Reproved” (published 1782) in which uncertainty among Muslims about which parts of a hog are permitted as food leads to the whole animal being eaten. * A reference to hog (“(Ireland, New Zealand, UK, historical, slang) shilling; (US, obsolete, rare) ten-cent coin, dime”), possibly in the context of spending the entire sum of money.

Word Breakdown

Root: *ǵʰeh₁-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈɡoʊ ðə hoʊl ˈhɔɡ/
British English: /ˈɡəʊ ðə həʊl ˈhɒɡ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

goes the whole hog (present, singular) going the whole hog (participle, present) went the whole hog (past) gone the whole hog (participle, past) go whole hog (alternative)

Phrases

totus porcus whole hog all the way full throttle ham wild the whole nine yards

Frequently Paired Words

totus porcus whole hog all the way full throttle ham wild the whole nine yards

Synonyms

go all out go ham go the entire animal pull out all the stops

Rhymes With

everybody and their dog man bites dog crab-eating frog -alogue

Questions

How do you pronounce go the whole hog?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡoʊ ðə hoʊl ˈhɔɡ/.
What does go the whole hog mean?: To do something as completely or entirely as possible; to hold back or reserve nothing.
Where does go the whole hog come from?: Origin uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested: * A reference to using the whole of a hog’s carcass for food, leather, etc., without wasting any part; or specifically to a poem by the English poet William Cowper (1731–1800), “The Love of the World Reproved” (published 1782) in which uncertainty among Muslims about which parts of a hog are permitted as food leads to the whole animal being eaten. * A reference to hog (“(Ireland, New Zealand, UK, historical, slang) shilling; (US, obsolete, rare) ten-cent coin, dime”), possibly in the context of spending the entire sum of money.

How to pronounce go the whole hog

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