Why do most Swiss-Italian insults (or even just venting) involve pigs?

While Swiss-Germans only have pig-dogs, we have:

porco-cane (pig-dog)
porco-vacca (pig-cow)
porco-maiale (pig-pig)
porco-putanna (pig-whore)
porco-troia (pig-slut)
porco-stronzo (pig-a**hole)
porco-dio (pig-god)
porca-madonna (pig-madonna)
porco-zio (pig-uncle, but really a bastardization of porco-dio)

Any I've forgotten?

Tom

I'm guessing this is rhetorical question, but I'll bite.

Because pigs is associated with being dirty. Erroneously I might add .
So it really means and would be translated as "dirty _blank_"

Pigs are lovely & if anyone is looking for one check out the rescue animal database link. There is one looking for a home.

I'll add on that and include it's also might stem from the fact that Catholisism is rather predominant in those parts and of course, in the Bible, pigs are often referred to as being, well, not so clean. So I guess it's just making the insult that much worse.

I do agree with you miniMia, pigs are sweet. The first time I ever saw a piglet I was 12 years old. The little fella was running around squealing so much and I totally fell in love.