Flying pig

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Flying pig in Delta's Concourse A at the Cincinnati airport.
Flying pig in Delta's Concourse A at the Cincinnati airport.

A flying pig is a symbol of an impossible event coming to pass. The popular saying "[it will happen] when pigs fly" (or "when pigs have wings") is traditionally used to mean that the specified event will never occur.

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[edit] "When pigs fly"

"When pigs fly" is an idiomatic way of saying that something will never happen. Pigs are heavy animals, without wings, and cannot possibly fly. So, "when pigs fly" is a time that will never come. The phrase is similar to others such as "when hell freezes over."

The idiom is apparently derived from a centuries-old Scottish proverb, though some other references to pigs flying or pigs with wings are more famous. Here is one such reference from Lewis Carroll:

"Thinking again?" the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.
"I've a right to think," said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.
"Just about as much right," said the Duchess, "as pigs have to fly...." — Alice in Wonderland, chapter 9.

Possibly the first occurrence of a pig actually "flying" occurred in 1909 when the British aviation pioneer Lord Brabazon made the first live air cargo flight with a pig in a basket tied to a wing-strut of his airplane. Additionally, if enough thrust is applied, any pig is capable of ballistic flight.

[edit] John Steinbeck

The author John Steinbeck used a winged pig that he called Pigasus in his signature and his exlibris. His wife Elaine relates his sentiment that "Man must aspire though he be earth-bound". [1]

[edit] Cincinnati

A flying pig is an unofficial symbol of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The tradition stems partly from the association of Cincinnati with the pig trade in the 19th century. Images of flying pigs often appear on souvenirs and T-shirts. Each year the city of Cincinnati hosts a Flying Pig Marathon.

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge includes statues of flying pigs.

From May 14 to October 31, 2000, Cincinnati hosted the Big Pig Gig, a large-scale event in which local artists decorated fiberglass "flying pig" statues and displayed them throughout the downtown area. Since the event, many of these statues have come to decorate Sawyer Point, the Cincinnati airport, local hotels, and other buildings.

[edit] Pink Floyd

Main article: Pink Floyd pigs

A flying or floating pig is one of the symbols associated with the rock band Pink Floyd and often appeared at concerts in the form of a large pig balloon. The original Pink Floyd pig was built in 1976 for the cover of the Animals album and flown for a photoshoot over Battersea Power Station. On the second day of shooting the pig tore itself loose and floated away to be recovered in the evening from Kent. Flights to Heathrow had to be diverted for safety reasons.

[edit] Other References

Books and Novels

  • "When pigs fly" is often used as a device in fantasy novels, usually followed by the appearance of a flying pig. In the Dragonlance series of novels, for example, a tavern called the Inn of the Flying Pigs features as a semipermanent attraction a trio of winged pigs who perform intricate stunts for the evening crowd. It is said to be a good place for dates.
  • The main character of Daggie Dogfoot, a children's novel by Dick King-Smith, is a pig who overhears the ironic phrase "Pigs might fly" and consequently makes numerous attempts at flight.

TV Series

  • In the animated sitcom American Dad there is a play on the expression "When pigs fly". Stan is trying to force an answer and he will get it when pigs fly. Stan immediately picks up the phone and calls his CIA Lab, asking how they are doing with the pig. In the background, a pig with one wing can be seen frantically flapping around. This is hinting that the CIA will use it in interrogations and such to get an answer because pigs do fly.
  • In the episode of The Simpsons called "Lisa the Vegetarian," Lisa sets off a chain of events at a barbecue ending with Homer's planned dinner of a roasted pig flying through the air. The audience then sees Mr. Burns telling Smithers that he is going to write a check to the orphanage "when pigs fly." As they laugh, the airborne pig flies past the window. Smithers then asks if he should prepare the check, to which Burns replies he would still prefer not.
  • In the Canadian sketch comedy show The Kids in the Hall there is a character named Flying Pig, played by Bruce McCulloch, who entertains people waiting, especially in lines.
  • In the series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Beifong family from which Toph hails has a symbol of the flying boar.
  • In a commercial on CBC, advertising Blackjack scratch-and-win, a man sees a "flying pig" and in a daze comments on it. A flashing "impossible" logo appears. The man across from him, seemingly unaware of the other man, says "I won!" as he was playing the scratch-and-win, followed by a flashing "possible" logo.

Computer Science

Movies

  • In the science fiction movie Children of Men the Pink Floyd pig can be seen floating outside the window of an affluent civil servant's dining room during a pivotal scene in the Ministry of Arts.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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