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AN INFORMAL RHYME FOR WHEN SOMETHING IS SAVED FROM GOING TO WASTE Pigs are often the butt of idiomatic jokes, portrayed as being ugly, greedy or lazy.  Tout est bon dans le cochon, however,

paints a more optimistic picture of these pink farmyard animals, implying that everything can be put to good use. We look at its origins and offer even more examples of pig-related idioms to

slide into your casual French conversations. Read also: Oh la vache ! 17 French animal expressions to try WHAT DOES TOUT EST BON DANS LE COCHON MEAN? This informal idiom literally

translates as: everything is good in the pig. An extended variation is:  * Dans le cochon tout est bon, de la queue jusqu’au menton. - In the pig all is good, from the tail to the chin.

There are a couple of different meanings behind this expression. It can be used to describe a ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ mindset, especially when cooking, to suggest that everything can be

used and no scraps or ingredients need to get thrown out. It can also describe an optimistic business outlook, considering that anything can be a source of profit. Similar English phrases

include: * Waste not, want not * Everything has its use * Nothing goes to waste WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF TOUT EST BON DANS LE COCHON? French journalist and comedian Alphonse Allais reportedly

wrote “Dans le cochon, tout est bon, même l'intérieur,” (In the pig, all is good, even the insides) in a collection of short stories published in 1892. There is actually some truth

behind this fun rhyming phrase. Veterinary doctor Anne Hemonic explains that humans are able to consume 83% of a pig’s weight and 87% of its proteins. For comparison, only 62% of a chicken’s

weight and 40% of a lamb can be eaten by humans.  From cheeks and ribs to feet and ears - very little goes to waste when it comes to pigs. This also encourages a wide variety of recipes and

dishes to be made, featuring the likes of sausages, pork chops, bacon, or black pudding. Read also: Understanding 'se jeter dans la gueule du loup': Exploring the depths of French

expressions WHEN DO YOU SAY TOUT EST BON DANS LE COCHON? This rhyming expression is quite flexible and can be added to any general statement implying that everything is good or going well.

  This idiom might also appear when something is saved from going to waste. * Ces biscuits sont un peu trop cuits mais nous pouvons les vendre à moitié prix. Tout est bon dans le cochon. -

These cookies have been a bit overdone but we can sell them at half price. Waste not, want not.  It is often heard as a standalone statement or response to a question: * Question: Tu veux

que j'épluche les pommes de terre ? - Would you like me to peel the potatoes? * Response: Tout est bon dans le cochon ! Mets-les directement au four. - Everything can be used! Put them

directly in the oven.  TO WHOM DO YOU SAY TOUT EST BON DANS LE COCHON? It is informal language and should only really be used with friends and family. It is mainly said in spoken French and

will rarely be seen written down, except in casual message exchanges or as a punny headline.  OTHER COCHON PHRASES? * Avoir un caractère de cochon - To be bad-tempered * Manger comme un

cochon - To eat like a pig * Quel temps de cochon ! - What filthy weather!  * Une cochonnerie - A mess * Un travail de cochon - A botched job * Être copains comme cochons - To be as thick as

thieves Read also: Try swapping syllables in French words to sound like a native