Lipstick on a pig
The phrase to put "lipstick on a pig" means making superficial or cosmetic changes to a product in a futile effort to disguise its fundamental failings. There are many phrases using pigs, monkeys, or swine, dating back to biblical times. This phrase seems to have been coined in the 20th century but did not become a common phrase until the 21st century and is often used in politics.
The phrase "lipstick on a pig" has been used for centuries in various forms, including "you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear." The use of "lipstick on a pig" in its current form dates back to at least 1946, but it gained widespread use in political rhetoric during the 2008 United States presidential election, where it was used to criticize spin and to imply that an opponent (beginning with Sarah Palin) is attempting to repackage established policies and present them as new. It has since been used in political discourse in various countries, sometimes causing controversy.
Etymology
Pigs have long been featured in proverbial expressions: a "pig's ear", a "
The "lipstick" variant of the phrase is more modern (the word "lipstick" itself was only coined in 1880).
In an article in the Quad-City Herald (Brewster, Washington) from 31 January 1980, it was observed that "You can clean up a pig, put a ribbon on it's [sic] tail, spray it with perfume, but it is still a pig."[3] The phrase was also reported in 1985 when The Washington Post quoted a San Francisco radio host from KNBR remarking "That would be like putting lipstick on a pig" in reference to plans to refurbish Candlestick Park (rather than constructing a new stadium for the San Francisco Giants).[1][4]
In a 1983 article, "Sugar Loaf Key: Tales of the Swine Family", Hunter S. Thompson describes a prank in which he put lipstick on the head of a pig and put it in the toilet of a Florida resort owner.[5]
In the summer of 1992 at the Democratic National Convention, Texas governor Ann Richards said "Well, you can put lipstick on a hog and call it Monique, but it's still a pig."[6] This was in reference to a plan by president George H.W. Bush to use US warships to protect oil tankers in the Middle East.[7] Richards thought the program was wasteful spending.
21st-century usage
In May 2002, brokerage firm
The phrase was then used in political rhetoric to criticize
By 2008, the phrase had become common and often controversial political invective in the United Kingdom
In 2017 in New Zealand, the phrase became controversial when
Book titles
- Lipstick on a Pig by Dennis A. Smith, Writing the Wrong Ltd, 2008, 2010, 2020 (ISBN 978-0-9582896-9-6)
- Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game, ISBN 0743271165)
- Putting Lipstick on a Pig (Rep and Melissa Pennyworth Mysteries), Michael Bowen, Poisoned Pen Press, 2008 (ISBN 1590585313)
- If You Put Lipstick on a Pig – You Will Have A Beautiful Pig, Penelope Dyan, Bellissima Publishing LLC, 2008 (ISBN 1935118269)
- Let's Put Some Lipstick on This Pig? Practical and Innovative Insights for the Selling Professional, Mark McGlinchey, Business Management Solutions, 2003 (ISBN 0972807608)
- Election 2008: Lipstick on the Pig (Substance of Governance; Legitimate Grievances; Candidates on the Issues; Balanced Budget 101; Call to Arms: Fund We Not Them; Annotated Bibliography), Robert David Steele Vivas, Earth Intelligence Network, 2008, (ISBN 0971566151)
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png)
- Cultural references to pigs
References
- ^ Ben Zimmer, Who First Put 'Lipstick on a Pig'? Slate.com10 September 2008
- ISBN 978-0-099-52872-2
- ^ Guzman, Monica (10 September 2008). "'Lipstick on a pig' finds origin in tiny state newspaper". blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com. SeattlePi.com. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ Mathews, Jay (16 November 1985). "San Francisco Tries To Keep Baseball Raiders at Bay". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
- ^ Gonzo Papers, Vol. 3: Songs of the Doomed: More Notes on the Death of the American Dream p.207
- ^ "Lipstick, pigs and memories of Ann". Dallas News. 10 September 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Zimmer, Ben (10 September 2008). "Where does the expression "lipstick on a pig" come from?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ McGeehan, Patric K. (28 October 2002). "Schwab Ads Take Swipe at Big Firms". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ISBN 0-7432-7116-5.
- ^ Wendy Greenberg in Newswise Issue No. 200606, June 2006.
- ^ Labour 'lipstick on a pig' attack BBC news website Wednesday, 26 July 2006 BBC
- ^ "Obama rejects 'lipstick' charge". BBC. 10 September 2008..
- ^ "McCain Said "Lipstick" Too". Slate.
- ^ "Obama accuses McCain campaign of 'lies'" Associated Press, 10 September 2008
- Dallas Morning News 10 September 2008 trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com
- ^ Vice President's Remarks in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- ^ "PM blasts Morgan's 'lipstick on a pig' jibe". 30 June 2023.