Says Robert A. elsewhere:

quote:

"I'm resolute, you're stubborn, he's pigheaded."

"Pigheaded? Why is a pig associated with stubbornness? I'm no farmboy, but I never heard anything about the pig being a particularly stubborn animal. (Mules yes; pigs no.)

Am I just an ignorant city slicker? What goes on here?

It's an interesting question, Shu. While I was raised on a farm, we didn't have pigs. However, I will ask my father as he might know. I don't recall ever hearing that pigs were necessarily pigheaded, though they are quite smart...as well as often very dirty!

Here is the etymology the OED gives: "Having a head like that of a pig. Chiefly fig.: stupidly obstinate, perverse, or set in one's ways." It goes back to 1637, and was used by Dickens (1839) in Nicholas Nickleby.

Found this little detail under synonyms for "obstinate" (dictionary.com):
"Bullheaded suggests foolish or irrational obstinacy, and pigheaded, stupid obstinacy: Don't be bullheaded; see a doctor. "It's a pity pious folks are so apt to be pigheaded" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).

So I guess pigs are not necessarily obstinate, but when they are, it is because of their stupidity... What do you farmers say? I think that's... animalist! We've all known pigs who are plenty smart!

The pigs in Animal Farm aren't the stupid ones. In fact, they are the cleverest.

My father grew up on a farm and I seem to recall his saying that pigs were relatively intelligent compared with other animals. Sheep, cows, horses all were less intelligent than pigs, and even some dogs. It depended on the dog in question. It must be that the way their faces appear to humans made us interpret them as being stupid.

We had this conversation after visiting a relative who lived on a farm and raised hogs, and the wife and my dad were remembering how on the farm they would sometimes keep a piglet for a pet and let it stay in the house. I think I said "why would anyone keep a stupid pig in the house" and got the "pigs-are-quite-intelligent" lecture.

My mother-on-law would always play the mule card: "He hasn't got to always be so muleish."

Wordmatic

Yes, pigs are intelligent animals.

As a little aside, cows aren't so stupid either. I was raised on a farm where we had Holstein cows. My dad said that he'd always close the gate, but sometimes he'd forget to flip the lock. The cows never would try the gate at all when they noticed it was locked. But the minute he forgot to flip the lock, they'd all push it open and escape.

They were also quite cute. My sister and I used to sit on their backs as they laid down while locked in the stanchions. They were very friendly with us. Their calves were adorable!

Babe was a very intelligent pig.

...... so was Wilbur