long pig

See also: longpig

English

WOTD – 4 January 2016

Alternative forms

• longpig, long-pig

Etymology

Allegedly a calque of Fijian vuaka balavu.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

long pig (uncountable)

1. (euphemistic) Human flesh used by cannibals as meat.
   • 1857, R[obert] M[ichael] Ballantyne, The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean:

     "As a long pig!" I exclaimed in surprise; "why what does he mean by that?" "He means somethin' very unpleasant," answered Bill with a frown.

   • 1968, Osa Johnson, I Married Adventure:

     If we were reckless enough to risk being served up as "long pig" by the savages of Malekula, that was our lookout, not his.

   • 2002, William C. Miller, Long Pig:

     While Melanesian cannibals make "long pig," barbecuing enemies, legal and political cannibals in San Francisco put a beautiful wealthy woman, Penny Penny Hill, on trial for murder […]

Synonyms

• humanflesh
• long pork
• man-meat
• the other white meat (horror)

Translations

Human flesh as consumed by cannibals

• Chinese: 人肉 (zh) (rénròu)
• Danish: lang gris c
• Esperanto: homaĵo
• Finnish: pitkä sika (rare)
• German: Langschwein n
• Japanese: 人肉 (ja) (じんにく, jinniku)
• Swedish: långgris c

References

1. St. Johnson, Alfred. Camping Among Cannibals. 1888

Anagrams

• gloping