17 Bay Area Cities To Hit 100 Degrees, But You Won't Be Sweating Like A Pig
KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.
Today's temperatures in our Inland areas will soar to 108 degrees which got me thinking, where does the term "sweating like a pig" come from? I asked this question on my Facebook page and received a comment from Steve Brozosky: "Pigs actually do not sweat. That is why they like to hang out in mud when it is hot, to cool down. Pig sweating is actually a reference to pig iron, which is form of iron smelting."
GREAT JOB STEVE!
I looked it up, and sure enough, the phrase "sweating like a pig" has nothing to do with the animal you might find on a farm. Instead, it refers to iron "sows" and "piglets" made when smelting pig iron. Liquid iron is poured into a mold shaped like one long line with many smaller lines branching off of it at right angles. I'm told, this looks similar to piglets feeding from their mother, so these pieces became known as pigs. After the pigs are poured into the sand, they cool, causing the surrounding air to reach its dew point and turn into moisture on the pigs, like they are sweating. When the pig is sweating, it's cool enough to be moved. Therefore, "sweating like a pig!"
Now for the animal type of pig, well Steve is spot on. Pigs don't sweat very well. They have only a few sweat glands —humans have more than 2 million. This is why, to keep cool, pigs cover themselves in water and mud.
Here is a list of some of the cities where you may want to roll in mud or water to stay cool today! And may I join you? It's going to hit 104 at my house today!
108 Ukiah
107 Brentwood
107 Fairfield
106 Antioch
105 Gilroy
105 Cloverdale
104 Concord
103 Lakeport
103 Pleasanton
103 Danville
103 Blackhawk
102 Alamo
102 Walnut Creek
102 San Ramon
101 Dublin
101 Morgan Hill
100 Pleasant Hill
I would love to hear from you! Please send weather questions, observations and photos to me, Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com and I look forward to hearing from you!
