sow

{pronunciation:  ‘sow’ in this context rhymes with the word ‘now’ or ‘cow’}

[A]

the female of certain animals whose  male is called boar, such as bear, badger, etc.

[B]

sow & piglets

a full-grown  female of a pig/swine/hog

Figures of Speech:

1.

sow (noun)  =  a channel that carries molten iron to the moulds in a pig iron bed

2.

still sow  =  a quiet person who is very cunning, and grabs at good chances silently

3.

dead sow’s eye  =  a badly sewn buttonhole on a shirt or jacket

4.

sow-backed mutch  =  a kind of woman’s or baby’s cap (old-fashioned)

5.

as lobber-headed as a sow  =  (of a person) stupid

6.

as happy as a sow in muck (or shit) [said of a person who is very happy with the worldly pleasures]

7.

pricks up her ears like an old sow in beans [said of a woman who is very alert and/or who likes to hear gossip about others]

8.

as suitable as a saddle on a sow (‘Saddle’ is a leather seat made to be placed on the back of a horse for the rider to sit comfortably) [said of a woman’s clothes that look ugly or out of place on her]

9.

like a sow and nine pigs in a rut  =  very filthy, nasty, dirty

10.

one can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear [said to mean that a person cannot make an excellent or qualitative thing from a very poor quality material or source]

11.

the civil sow eats of the draff (‘draff’ = the leftovers and other food or vegetable waste that is fed to the hogs/pigs) [said as a warning against quiet people who often prove themselves to be the best; and also as a warning not to disclose (give away) one’s plans to others]

12.

a turd is as good for a sow as a pancake (‘turd’ = a piece of shit; ‘pancake’ = a type of cake) [said to mean that bad or indecent people do not know or do not mind the difference between good and bad, or between worthy things and useless things]

13.

the pig of one’s own sow [said of the results of one’s own deeds/actions; something that is one’s own by right]

14.

to get (or have) the wrong sow by the ear (or lug) =  to blame or accuse the wrong person; to hold a mistaken idea

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