cochon de lait

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A young pig roasted whole over a fire or in a pit, a dish traditional in Cajun country in southern Louisiana.

   Grammar: Countable for the whole animal (a cochon de lait) and uncountable for the meat served (we ate cochon de lait).

   Patterns

   • roast a cochon de lait
   • serve cochon de lait

   The family roasted a cochon de lait for the wedding.

   The crispy skin is the best part of a good cochon de lait.

   Visitors lined up for plates of cochon de lait at the festival.

2. 2nouncountable

   A social gathering built around roasting and sharing a whole pig, usually outdoors.

   Grammar: Countable: they held a cochon de lait on Saturday.

   Patterns

   • have a cochon de lait
   • go to a cochon de lait

   Our neighbors invited everyone to a cochon de lait in their yard.

   The church holds a cochon de lait every spring to raise money.

   We spent the whole afternoon at the cochon de lait, eating and listening to fiddle music.

Word forms

Common combinations

roast a cochon de lait

It takes most of the day to roast a cochon de lait properly.

host a cochon de lait

Her uncle hosts a cochon de lait every autumn.

cochon de lait party

The cochon de lait party went on until midnight.

cochon de lait sandwich

The shop sells a cochon de lait sandwich with pickled slaw.

Cajun cochon de lait

A Cajun cochon de lait is often cooked in a box covered with hot coals.

Synonyms and how they differ

suckling pig

Suckling pig is the ordinary English name for the animal, whereas cochon de lait is the Cajun term and also names the party.

pig roast

Pig roast is a general term for any outdoor event with a roasted pig, while cochon de lait points to the Louisiana tradition.

hog roast

Hog roast is the common British phrase and usually means a larger, older pig cooked for a crowd.

Word family

cochon noun

French for pig, used in Louisiana French

boucherie noun

a Cajun community event where a pig is butchered and cooked together

Cajun adjective

relating to the French-speaking culture of Louisiana

Commonly confused: cochon de lait or cochonnerie?

Practice

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