to be a pig
4
8.8
- idiom
- Offensive
:
portarse como un cerdo
- You shouldn't be a pig and take all the cookies; share them with everyone.
Examples
-
Or would you rather be a pig?
Fiction book (1991) -
Well, I'm being a pig.
-
Now don't be a pig, you know.
-
Don't be a pig sir.
-
Don't be a pig!
-
You're a pig!
-
When you always want the last piece of pizza, you really be a pig.
-
Don't be a pig by hoarding all the toys; let others play with them too.
Synonyms
33
5.3
To take or use more than your fair share
7
7.5
Eat a very large amount of food without control
7
7.9
To eat a lot in a greedy way
5
7.8
To eat in a very messy and greedy way
1
8.0
To behave in a greedy and messy way, often when eating with others
1
7.6
To eat or drink too much
To take things from other people without giving anything back
Antonyms
How Greedy
- US
- Offensive
4
8.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression is a straightforward combination of the copula pattern 'be a' plus 'pig'; if a learner knows 'pig' as a derogatory label for a selfish or greedy person, the meaning 'behave greedily' follows directly. The 'be a X' construction and animal-as-metaphor mapping for rudeness/greed is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will typically understand it.
Etymology
The idiom be a pig comes from the simple picture of a pig gobbling food and making a mess as it takes more than it needs. So saying someone is a pig means they are being 'greedy' or 'selfish' and not leaving enough for others.