Today on Facebook, I posted that I was "Happy as a Pig in a Poke". I figured I better find out what that really meant.
I did a quick Google search on the origin of the saying and this is what I found.
First of all, Pig in a Poke literally translates into “Pig in a bag”. I’m not sure when being “Happy” was added to this phrase, but perhaps the Poke (the bag) was dry and warm and the Pig was cold and wet… therefore one could conclude that the Pig COULD be Happy in the Poke. I mean, really… look at the picture to the left.. this little pig definitely looks happy!
So far so good. I’m justifying the use of my ill-gotten phrase. But I still have MORE questions… the origin of Pig in a Poke referenced the phrase “When ye proffer the pigge, open the poke”. Which means “An offering or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first” or Don’t Buy The Pig Until You’ve Seen It!
Now we’re getting somewhere! You have all heard the term ‘caveat emptor’ which is Latin for ‘let the buyer beware’ and according to Google, in this case, if you buy something, you should take responsibility to make sure it is what you intended to buy.
So as it turns out, when today I said I was Happy as a Pig in a Poke, what I really meant was that I was warm and dry and in my environment and that I felt very content over the whole matter.
The weather in Des Moines today was the most beautiful so far this year. It was 80 degrees, low humidity and no breeze. A classic “Chamber of Commerce Day”… DOH! There I go again!
Needless to say, I was Happy as a Pig in a Poke, even if I was mixing my metaphors slightly….