swine, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

swine n.

1. anything considered as difficult or exhausting to achieve.

1896		M. Williams Round London 24: Got some first-class Germans cheap, and blow me if they ain’t swine to sing.
1915		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 July 44: Horsetralian. / Boundary Rider (in disgust): ‘This dark mare is a cow ter ride.’ / Rouseabout (sympathetic): ‘Yes, my oath, he’s a fair swine.’.
1921		‘Dornford Yates’ Berry and Co 35: I took the lamp away from her and advanced to the fireplace. ‘I’ll fix the swine,’ I said savagely.
1933		D. Thomas letter Oct. Sel. Letters (1966) 31: This method of letter writing, this selection of odd notes, is very satisfying, but it’s a swine in some ways.
2001		K. Waterhouse Soho 180: I’ve got to write the swine and make it good.

2. (UK prison) prison guards.

1943

J. Phelan Letters from the Big House 40: Grew old together, me and the swine.

3. (US black) constr. with the, the police [pig n. (2a)].

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 66: Derisive pejoratives like pig, swine, the hog, gray dog.

4. (Aus. prison) the police [var. on pig n. (2a)].

1990

Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 Swine. Police. Extrapolation from ‘pig’.

swine-eater (n.) (also swine) [the Muslim prohibition on pig products] (US black Muslim)

1. a white person.

[1889		Ipwich Jrnl 18 Jan. 6/1: ‘The English fleet is steaming in to take off the Khediva!’ ‘The filthy swine-eaters are coming to [...] destroy the faithful and the mosques’].
1958		Pittsburgh Courier (PA) 1 Feb. 14/3: Think over the sins of these so-called Christian people — They are the greatest swine-eaters on earth.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 60: Even more graphic and derogatory labels [...] swine, swine-eater, and the whips, while characterizing whites as animal-like, brutal, or evil, do not ‘picture’ whites very extensively.

2. a police officer [pig n. (2a)].

1980

E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 257: swine eater 1. Police.

go the entire swine (v.) (also go the complete swine, ...total swine) [var. on go the whole hog under whole hog n.]

to do thoroughly, to go all the way, to commit oneself unreservedly.

1838		Durham Chron 14 Sept. 2/4: He now seems inclined to ‘go the entire swine’ in the direction of ultra-Radicalism.
1845		Warder & Dublin Wkly Mail 15 Mar. 5/3: The veteran agitator [...] disappoints their malice by at once a-severating his high resolve to go the ‘entire swine’ and play the fool.
1852		Louisville Dly Courier (KY) 1 June 2/1: The prevailing opinion now is, that they will go ‘the entire swine’, veto and all.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 155: ‘To go the whole hog’ is frequently altered into go the entire animal, or the complete swine!
1864		Wayne Co. Herald (Honesdale, PA) 31 Jan. 2/4: If disssolution is inevitable, it is best to go the entire swine.
1869		C.G. Leland ‘Breitmann in Politics’ in Hans Breitmann About Town 56: Gaul dern my heels! I’ll do it, / Und go the total swine!
1878		Brenham Wkly Banner (TX) 8 Feb. 1/2: The Seguin gentleman evidently desires to go the entire swine or take naught.
1885		Star & Banner (Gettysburg, PA) 13 Apr, 1/6: For Wolf, all the State and County officers [...] go the entire swine.
1896		Winfield Dly Courier (KS) 8 Oct. 2/3: This country cannot exist half slave and half free. We must prepare to go the entire swine.
1902		Sioux City Jrnl (IA) 1 Sept. 8/4: Don’t stop half way, mayor — let’s go the entire swine.

on the swine (adj.)

very bad, very poor.

1900

E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 65: swine, n. In phrase ‘on the swine’ = ‘on the hog’ [Very poor, bad].