   When You Waller With Pigs, Expect to Get DirtyIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "When you waller with pigs, expect to get dirty" is a folksy proverb meaning "if you associate with troublemakers or get into messy fights, you’ll come out dirty yourself." It’s a colorful warning rooted in farm life. #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #Animals #PeopleandRelationships #Nature #FarmTalk #Proverbs Hillbilly Dude Says...  You can hear versions of ‘when you waller with pigs, expect to get dirty' out in the country. Pronunciation[WALL-er with PIGS eks-PECT tuh get DIR-tee] Meaning & Usage- If you mix with trouble or bad company, you’ll share the consequences (proverb / figurative)
Mae:
Should I argue with him online?
Earl:
Honey, when you waller with pigs, expect to get dirty.other spellings: When you wallow with pigs, and expect to get dirty ★ This saying draws directly on hog-pen reality: hogs "waller" (wallow) in mud, so anyone who climbs in with them will get muddy too. The metaphor is universal but the phrasing "waller" is distinctly Southern/Appalachian. ★ OriginDerived from older English "wallow" (to roll about), pronounced "waller" in Southern/Appalachian dialect. Farmers and preachers alike used this imagery to warn about bad company or needless fights. NotesStill widely recognized in rural Southern/Appalachian communities. Outside the region you’ll hear "wallow" in formal writing but rarely "waller" in speech. Both versions carry the same meaning. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "when you WALL-er with pigs, expect to get dirty." "Waller" is the local pronunciation of "wallow." | Latest Accents About We are a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia, but wide as the world. Read more... |
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