Greased piglet
"Greased piglet" is a nickname used by former British Prime Minister David Cameron to describe later British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[1] It has been defined by Wales Online as "a person who is very proficient at slipping out of tight situations."[1] In 2019 Cameron said of Johnson: "The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people's hands where mere mortals fail."[2]
The nickname has since gained wide currency in the news media.[citation needed] In June 2022, after surviving the partygate incident, The Independent said "Boris Johnson, the greased piglet, has wriggled free on Partygate"[3] The Times editorial said "The Times view on Boris Johnson’s survival: Greased Piglet".[4] The paper Johnson had previously worked for, The Daily Telegraph, said "The 'greased piglet' wriggles free again, but this PM's mutinous party still smells blood",[5] while The Guardian reproduced a Chris Riddell cartoon titled "Boris Johnson, greased piglet, escapes yet again".[6]
On 6 July 2022, in the light of the Chris Pincher scandal, the front page of the Daily Mail bore the line: "Can even Boris the Greased Piglet wriggle out of this?".[1] The following day, after the government crisis and Johnson's resignation, several newspapers also invoked the term. The Hindu noted that "the luck of a man once likened to a "greased piglet" for his ability to escape controversies finally ran out".[7]
References
- ^ a b c Hayward, Will (6 July 2022). "Why is Boris Johnson called a greased piglet?". WalesOnline. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Drake, Matt (18 October 2019). "David Cameron calls Boris Johnson a 'greased piglet' before backing Brexit deal". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ^ O'Grady, Sean (19 May 2022). "Boris Johnson, the greased piglet, has wriggled free on Partygate". The Independent. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Editorial (20 May 2022). "The Times view on Boris Johnson's survival: Greased Piglet". The Times. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Tominey, Camilla (6 June 2022). "The 'greased piglet' wriggles free again, but this PM's mutinous party still smells blood". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Riddell, Chris (28 May 2022). "Boris Johnson, greased piglet, escapes yet again". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ "Brexit to Exit". The Hindu. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.